The Stockport Iniesta
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 21 Aug 2008
- Messages
- 9,937
They, the East German's absolutely were doped but also victim's as you said. I watched a documentary year's ago and a female East German swimmer who told the story of what they went through.I think the 800m runner was 100%, yes.
With Marita, possibly but, and this is only my personal opinion, I did think the Americans that the East German athletes they were up against weren’t squeaky clean either. Yes, it wasn’t state organised but it still was the same effects on athletes. You could actually argue those young East German women were victims in a way too.
The other aspect though, which was nothing to do with doping, is that sports success was so important for the East German state that they put it front and centre in other ways, in terms of investment in their system. They had fabulous coaching, and process that identified talent really young in schools, for all sports, based on born natural characteristics be it wing span/arm length for throwers (or swimmers) or lung capacity etc for other events, then supported and nurtured that talent intensively.
If I’m honest too, as a kid I also suspended my disbelief, just like I do now watching cycling (or football!) because if you didn’t, you wouldn’t really enjoy much sport at all I suppose.
(One or two sportsmen & women I do still find a bit too suspicious to ignore though!)
The swimmers were doped on steroids, and the training regime was to have them swim against a very strong tide, in a purpose built indoor facility. She explained that the tide was so strong, that you couldn't swim forward, just try and hold a position and not go backwards. It was for building strength and stamina, all while using drugs. I believe the long term health effects were also very negative for those involved.
It was state sponsored, and I'm dubious about any athlete's in any sport from behind the iron curtain at that time. Some of the records that still exist are ridiculous, especially so considering the improvements in nutrition, and sports science.