Book lifts lid on East German doping regime

A FORMER senior East German sports official has acknowledged that there was widespread state-sponsored doping in the communist country, including that of children.

Thomas Koehler made the admission in his book Two Sides of the Medal, which is being published later this week.

"The sports leadership decided to use selected anabolic substances in a series of sports (in the 1970s]," Mr Koehler wrote.

"If East Germany wanted to remain competitive in international sport, there was no choice but to allow the use of doping substances.

"If athletes were included from age 16, that happened with consideration of their biological maturity."

East Germany's doping programme has been widely known for years but Mr Koehler's admission is the first by a senior official from the former communist state.

He claimed that "all substances were administered in agreement with the athletes".