Czerniakowska (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Koch was one of the most persistent in demanding higher and higher doses of anabolic steroids for heself. Documents found after the fall of the wall proved her to have received such substances. One even showed her to have complained to the manufacturing company that she was receiving less Oral-Turinabol from them during the period 1981-1984 than was her teammate Barbel Wockel. At the time she set the 400 metres record, Koch's annual dosage of that drug was probably as high as 1,460mg.

vane824 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Marita was a great,great athlete but like all of their generation in easter country always will be suspect.

pharry4life (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Anyone who doesnt think Koch was on a cocktail of drugs throughout her career needs to have their heads checked. Was she a talented athlete? Yes. Did she train hard? Yes Did she have an intricate and deep drug program YES. It is crystal clear. Every female WR from 100-800m is performance enhanced.

fjknm (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

According to an article by THE BBC (MARCH, 2005),"A big group of former East German athletes is to sue a pharmaceuticals giant over the damage they suffered under the country's doping progamme of the 1970s and 80s. The 160 athletes - some of them only 10 at the time - are each claiming damages of 10,000 Euros from Jenapharm, which produced the steroids on behalf of the East German government".

jjfcal (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I do not understand why people insist on saying that eastern european athletes from eteh 80's were all manly and muscled. I have been keen on atheltics for a long time. And let me tell you that soviet and east german sprinters all had very very light upper bodies. You can see pictures of koch, gohr, gladisch, kondratyeva vladykina and many others and all of them used to have very strong thighs (of course) but much ligher upper bodies than western sprinters.I dont konw where that myth comes from.

aquamarineeyes (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Marita Koch's 400m World Record will last for a very VERY long time as she was the real deal from 1977 to 1986 season after season after season unlike the one season Flo Jo.

aquamarineeyes (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Eh what? Dude do you HONESTLY believe that Katrin Krabbe & Heike Drechsler from East Germany looked like men??? HAHAHAHAHA! You need your eyes tested! Both these women are 6ft tall stunners that any hot blooded male would love to have in his bed - me included!

venezyela (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

auqaeyes, no offense but the east german women they look like dudes, everyone one of them. None of them are women looking like and when you take steroids at young age (10-12)yrs old and til mid 20's your face changes compare to the others women competitors. When these east germans are sprinting down the track they look more like mens. Again, East geramny and Steroid... Q-eyes. aloha from ewa beach 96706

aquamarineeyes (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

& what about all the USA cheats? (Jones,Pettigrew, Flo Jo, EVEN CARL LEWIS was caught but it was hushed up!)

aquamarineeyes (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Marita Koch IS that good! FACT!