BERLIN, GERMANY – Former East German Olympic swimmer Carola Beraktschjan said she wants to forfeit her medals and have her name removed from the record books because she had swum under the influence of steroids.
Beraktschjan, who was known by her maiden name of Nitschke while she swam for East Germany, has testified in a case against six former East German sports officials who are accused of causing bodily harm by giving female swimmers banned steroids to improve their performance. Beraktschjan told reporters outside the courtroom she did not believe she could have earned the medals or set records without receiving systematic doping by her coaches.
Beraktschjan had testified at the trial that she had received performance-enhancing substances from one of the accused and that the injections and tablets had led to dramatic muscular development, weight gain and deepening of her voice.
She eventually refused to take the substance. She is the first top East German athlete to volunteer to give back her medals due to doping.