Two Former GDR Coaches Fired

FRANKFURT, GERMANY – Two former East German swimming coaches charged with giving anabolic steroids to unwitting teen-age athletes were fired by the German Swimming Federation. Dieter Lindemann and Volker Frischke knowingly gave “false statements to us, their employer,” federation chairman Ruediger Tretow said. The two had been given a chance to explain but had not done so, Tretow said. Both coaches had been suspended since Sept. 26. The two were among four former East German swimming coaches charged Tuesday with causing bodily harm for giving anabolic steroids to 17 teen-age girls from 1974-89. The charges were the first to result from a criminal investigation into steroid use in East German sports. Lindemann, 46, is former coach of Olympic medalist Franziska van Almsick and was currently training Steffen Zesner. He faces four counts of causing bodily harm. Frischke, 53, coach of European champion Kerstin Kielgass, faces eight counts. Rolf Glaeser, 57, who was hired by the Austrian swim team after German unification, faces nine counts. Also charged with three counts was Dieter Krause, 50, who no longer is a coach.

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