ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS: Was the East German sports doping program government mandated?

QUESTION: Was the East German sports doping program mandated by the government?

The German Democratic Republic’s (GDR, or East Germany) doping program was a systematic, state-run effort to enhance the performance of the country’s athletes during the Cold War. The GDR sought to project international dominance, particularly over the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany).

The program began in the 1960s and was formalized in the State Plan 14.25 in 1974. It was authorized by GDR sports minister Manfred Ewald, a former member of the Hitler Youth, and implemented by Dr. Manfred Hoeppner, the state director of sports medicine.

Athletes were given steroids, especially Oral Turinabol, an anabolic steroid. These were administered to male and female athletes, including teenagers, without their full knowledge or consent.

The results were remarkable. At the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, the small country of about 17 million collected nine gold medals. Four years after Munich, the total was 20, and in Montreal in 1976 it was 40. The GDR had established itself as one of the most powerful sporting nations on Earth.

Koch broke 30 world records while representing the former GDR. She still holds the 400m world record of 47.60 seconds which she set in Canberra in 1985.

Anti-doping agencies have been slow to recover. It was 1977 before the 20-year-old shot-putter Ilona Slupianek became the first GDR athlete to be shot. She received a one-year ban and returned to win gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

In 2000, officials including Ewald and Hoeppner were brought to trial accused of harming the health of athletes. Among those who testified was Andreas Krieger, who, like Heidi Krieger, as a woman shot-putter, had won the European title in 1986 at the age of 21. underwent a sex change in 1997.

When the sentence came, it was lenient. In a Berlin court, Ewald and Hoeppner faced 142 counts of being an accessory to causing bodily harm, but both received short suspended sentences.

The period continues to cast its shadow on world athletics, particularly in the figure of Marita Koch, an athlete who broke 30 world records while representing the former GDR. She still holds the 400m world record of 47.60 seconds which she set in Canberra in 1985.

While Koch has never failed a doping test and denies involvement, the evidence that the GDR regime cheated has been presented beyond any reasonable doubt.

Marcus Allen, Chelmsford, Essex

QUESTION: Where does the phrase “fried” come from?

This is a synonym for “on the blink” that originated in the United States, but was popularized in Great Britain during World War II.

Its origin is uncertain, but it is believed to be a reference to the famous German nickname, probably alluding to imported German goods that were considered shoddy. Fritz was short for Friedrich and was well known to Americans through the popular cartoon strip The Katzenjammer Kids, featuring Hans and Fritz.

The term benefits from being onomatopoeic, recalling the sound of a short circuit, a buzzing in electrical equipment.

Cath Franks, Cambridge

QUESTION: Why does Oman have so many enclaves and slaves?

Oman’s enclaves and exclaves are the result of its complex historical, political and tribal dynamics. These territorial divisions stem from power struggles between Oman and neighboring entities such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

A well-known example is Madha, an Omani exclave in the UAE. At the beginning of the 20th century, the tribes of the area had to choose the alliance between the Sultanate of Oman and several local rulers in what is now the UAE. The people of Madha chose Oman, which became an exclave surrounded by UAE territory. Bizarrely, however, this exclave itself contained a UAE village called Nawha, which claimed allegiance to Sharjah, one of the Emirates. Thus, Nawha is technically a counter-enclave.

The most prominent example of an Omani exclave is Musandam, a peninsula that forms the northeastern point of the Arabian Peninsula, which guards the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and is separated from mainland Oman by the territory of the UAE . Control of this area gives Oman influence over the vital sea route through which much of the world’s oil passes.

The borders between Oman and the United Arab Emirates were officially defined in 1969, but tribal loyalties, political negotiations and local power balances played a major role in the creation of enclaves and exclaves. of today.

Ian Holman, Liverpool