The Diplomatic Context of Doping in the Former German Democratic Republic: A Revisionist Examination

Citation

Hunt TM, Dimeo P, Bowers M & Jedlicka SR (2012) The Diplomatic Context of Doping in the Former German Democratic Republic: A Revisionist Examination. International Journal of the History of Sport, 29 (18), pp. 2486-2499. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2012.729797

Abstract
Paying particular attention to political dynamics within the Eastern-bloc, this article seeks to outline the diplomatic context of what remains the most notorious episode of state-level doping in modern sport history: the cold war-era doping program run by the German Democratic Republic's Stasi national security police and intelligence organisation. To do so, it aims to integrate archival research on the subject with high-level geopolitical analysis. This approach offers more nuanced perspectives on the diplomatic meaning of sport and performance-enhancement in East Germany than is present in the existing literature.

Keywords
doping; East Germany; Soviet Union; politics

Journal
International Journal of the History of Sport: Volume 29, Issue 18