34. But GDR scientists (ahem) gave them a little helping hand…
Many countries didn’t recognize East Germany as a proper country, and they saw sport as a way to change that. But they were so keen to do well they plied athletes with performance-enhancing drugs. Doping, as it’s known, is still a big problem for sport, but rarely is it anything more than individual cheating. Doping in the GDR however was a state-wide imperative, and East Germany’s remarkable success in the Olympics has been attributed to it. Since the 1990s, people have demanded the record books be changed. Many East German athletes have also suffered long-term health problems.