New doc details OSU, Olympic track star's 'false positive'

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A former Ohio State University track standout is preparing to share how an error made decades ago upended his career and left a dark show over his legacy.  

Harry “Butch” Reynolds, 60, who ran track at the Ohio State University in the mid-1980s, is the focus of a new documentary. “False Positive” centers on a test given to the two-time Olympian in 1990 in Monaco. It determined he tested positive for steroids. 

“When that false accusation hit, and it was a lie, I never had due process,” Reynolds said. “It all went away. I mean, in the blink of an eye. Just as fast as I broke that world record, 43 seconds is as fast as all that went away.” 

It was later determined a mix-up in the lab led to the test’s results. Nonetheless, Reynolds lost lucrative endorsements and countless opportunities. 

The Akron native stepped on the world stage when he set a world record of 44.10 in the 400m at the Jesse Owens Classic in 1987. A year later, he beat his own record by clocking a time of 43.29 in the same race in Zurich, Switzerland. During the 1988 Olympic games in Seoul, South Korea, Reynolds won a silver in the 400m and gold in the 4x400m relay.

“I trained hard,” Reynolds said. “I dedicated myself to be the best.” 

In 1992, Reynolds won a $27 million federal lawsuit against the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF), now known as World Athletics, which said Reynolds tested positive for steroids. 

Several court battles resulted in a decision that determined U.S. courts did not have authority over IAAF, which is based outside of the country. As a result, the IAAF did not have to honor the judgment. Now, more than 30 years later, Reynolds has still not received a penny from track and field’s governing body. 

NBC4 reached out to World Athletics about this story but has yet to hear from the organization. 

“False Positive” chronicles Reynolds’ story, looking at his childhood, rise to fame, how the experience rocked his world, and how he was able to get his life back on track. 

“A lot of people who believed in Butch Reynolds, who still believe in Butch Reynolds, you know, the documentary is for them, as well,” Reynolds said.  

“False Positive” premieres June 11 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and will stream on ESPN+.