I rarely post doping stories because I prefer to chronicle positive accomplishments rather than scandalous ones. When I do post them it is usually when I am in a bad mood or when it is about the former East German government.This doping story comes out of the former communist nation once known as the German Democratic Republic. The GDR wasn't very democratic, nor very fun. It was a separate Germany unto itself existing as a puppet state for the former Soviet Union.
During it's existence, it was at odds with the Federal Republic of Germany until unification in 1990 to become one Germany under the FRG flag. (I bet only 40% of America knows that fact.)
It is a accomplished fact, or fait accompli if I am trying to sound smart; (which I am not), that the German Democratic Government systematically doped athletes without their knowledge or permission.
Accusations are flying that 6 time gold medalist, Kristin Otto, was doped when she won her numerous medals in Seoul, Korea in 1988. From the article:
"...Kristin Otto gave a clear statement in a letter to our superintendent in 2000 that she never knowingly or willingly doped," ZDF editor-in-chief Nikolaus Brender said. "As long as there is no evidence on the table, we stand by her." [Link]
I accept her story and feel none of her medals should be taken away but rather qualified and her records removed if a sample validates this accusation. This is not going to happen so presume her innocent.
Kirsten, if you are out there, send us a better photo.
Erik Hochstein commented:
I don't even know where to start on this one: How about this - you could not be any more wrong! {O_o}
I think it's very well documented that:
Every single East-German athlete that won medals was doped ( I believe the exception was something like figure skating.)
From talking to the athletes that defected; (we had one on the team and afterwards), they ALL KNEW what was going on.
They did have some choice in the matter, but only to a small degree. The girls were taken to the sports schools at such a young age that there was little they could do.
Having Kristin Otto as a sports commentator is an embarrassment to all sports -- I would for sure refuse to be interviewed by her until she comes "clean".
Well that shows me!!!
2 comments:
Oh Tony -
I don't even know where to start on this one: How about this - you could not be any more wrong.
I think it's very well documented that -
- every single East-German athlete that won medals was doped ( I believe the exception was something like fugure skating)
- from talking to the athletes that defected (we had one on the team) and afterwards - they ALL KNEW what was going on.
- they did have some choice in the matter, but only to a small degree. The girls were taken to the sports schools at such a young age, that they was little they could do.
Having Kristin Otto as a sports commentator is an embarrassment to all sports -- I would for sure refuse to be interviewed by her until she comes "clean".
I happened to do a google search on Kristin Otto today, because I just came in contact with a woman of that name born in 1966 who does Triathlons, but is not the East German Swimmer. I knew of the East German Swimmer and have seen her on German television as a commentator as well. I lived in Germany when the two countries were reunified and I competed in several rowing regattas against Athletes who were raised in the East German System. I can understand Mr. Hochstein's bitterness toward the East German System, but to condemn the athletes themselves lacks some insight I think. When I first traveled through East Germany in 1989 two months before the Wall fell and returned several times in 1990 before the reunification had taken place, East Germany was a very gray colorless land without much opportunity for joy or success outside of sports or becoming an opportunist within the Communist SED ruled party. The athletes not only went through the same indoctrination as the other citizens who were encouraged to beome young pioneers and then FDJ members (Free German Youth). Members of these youth groups were bestowed praise, awards and sometimes priviliges for displaying the correct socialist beliefs and attitudes. With the athletes, the indoctrination was even more extreme as these kids were segragated and put in special schools to hone their sport talents. To believe that these athletes succeeded solely because of the use of performance enhancing drugs is a falsehood. True is the fact the use of drugs made champions and medalist out of athlete who might have otherwise just had been a top ten finisher, but they were good athletes nonetheless and it was the whole system and training and not just the doping that lead to their success. What we must also consider are what options did the East German Athletes have? Sure, they could have just said no, but if you take young kids and praise them everytime they perform well and then give them something at first that is not much more than a vitamin supplement and tell them it will help them perform better and when they do, you heap further praise on them and then slowly increase the strength of the supplements, you will never instill the perspective that they are doing something wrong. They will actually see themselves as morally superior for doing what their coaches and party leaders expected of them. In Corporate America and in many large West German Companies, you will see the same type of behavior where workers will suck up to their superiors even if it means ignoring injustices done to their coworkers or carrying out some deceptive practice toward if their praises them and promotes them for doing so. Fortunately, we have free press and a democratically elected government that keeps some things in check and does not encourage broad wholesale usage of performance enhancing drugs in sports to the same pervasive extent of the East German sports machine, but there have been plenty of Western athletes who could not resist the temptation (Marion Jones, Tyler Hamilton and Ben Johnson to name a few). From the behavior I see in office politics, you can bet we would be the world's biggest nation of dopers if we heaped praise upon all who young athletes who succeed by whatever means and sent them to special schools to learn those means. I don't think it is an embarrassment to have Kristin Otto as a sport commentator as she too was a victim of a corrupt system, but the real question is how does Kristin feel about that system now that has gained another perspective of right and wrong? Because too many of us stand ready to condemn her and all her athletic accomplishments if she ever so much as hints that she knew what was going on, we will sadly never know what she really thinks and feels.
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