[2] Johansson's success is overshadowed in controversy after he was found cheating at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

His aim was a gold medal, stating before the games that wrestling was one of the sports that had been weakened the most by the Olympic boycott.

During the four next years, leading up to the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Tomas Johansson won two more World Championship medals.

Every international championship during these years was won by Aleksandr Karelin, so Johansson was fortunate when he was drawn at the opposite side of the Olympic tournament.

After an initial tie against Hungarian László Klauz, Johansson won three bouts to reach the gold medal match.