Birgit Meineke
Encyclopedia
Birgit Meineke was an East German swimmer. She was the fastest female swimmer in the 100 m freestyle between 1980 and 1984.
100 m freestyle, with a time of 54.04s. While her performance at the 1982 World Aquatics Championships
was similarly strong, the pinnacle of her career was a sweep of five golds at the 1983 European Aquatics Championships in Rome.
Meineke was unable to compete in the Olympics due to the boycott
of the 1984 Los Angeles
Olympics by 14 Eastern Bloc countries, including East Germany. However, she won several medals at the Friendship Games
, including two gold medals as part of the teams for the 4×100 m freestyle relay and the 4×100 m medley relay, the latter of which broke a world record. She ended her swimming career in that year, later becoming a general surgeon.
. These caused health problems for her in later life, including a liver tumor she attributed to the use of anabolic steroids and birth control pills.
In 1998, former coach Rolf Glaeser admitted to administering steroids to Meineke and her teammates and was fined $4000 for causing bodily harm.
Career
Meineke was strongest in the early eighties, winning a gold medal as part of the East German team for the 4×100 m freestyle relay in the 1981 European Aquatics Championships, as well as two silver medals in the same year for the 200 meter and 100 meter freestyle. In the same year, she also established a world record in the short courseShort course
In Swimming, the term Short Course is used to identify a pool that is 25 metres in length. The term is also often included in meet names when conducted in a short course pool...
100 m freestyle, with a time of 54.04s. While her performance at the 1982 World Aquatics Championships
1982 World Aquatics Championships
The 1982 World Aquatics Championships took place in Guayaquil, Ecuador between July 29 and August 8, 1982 with 848 participating athletes.- Medals table :-Diving:MenWomen-Swimming:MenWomen-Synchronised swimming:-Water polo:Men...
was similarly strong, the pinnacle of her career was a sweep of five golds at the 1983 European Aquatics Championships in Rome.
Meineke was unable to compete in the Olympics due to the boycott
1984 Summer Olympics boycott
The boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. The boycott was a follow up to the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. The boycott involved 14 Eastern Bloc countries and allies, led by the Soviet Union who initiated the boycott on May 8, 1984, and joined...
of the 1984 Los Angeles
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
Olympics by 14 Eastern Bloc countries, including East Germany. However, she won several medals at the Friendship Games
Friendship Games
The Friendship Games or Friendship-84 was an international multi-sport event held between 2 July and 16 September 1984 in the Soviet Union and eight other socialist states which boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles....
, including two gold medals as part of the teams for the 4×100 m freestyle relay and the 4×100 m medley relay, the latter of which broke a world record. She ended her swimming career in that year, later becoming a general surgeon.
East German doping
Like many other East German female athletes, Meineke was subject to systematic administration of performance-enhancing drugsPerformance-enhancing drugs
Performance-enhancing drugs are substances used by athletes to improve their performances in the sports in which they engage.- Types of performance-enhancing drugs :...
. These caused health problems for her in later life, including a liver tumor she attributed to the use of anabolic steroids and birth control pills.
In 1998, former coach Rolf Glaeser admitted to administering steroids to Meineke and her teammates and was fined $4000 for causing bodily harm.