Birgit Dressel

Birgit Dressel (b. May 4, 1960 in Bremen — d. April 10, 1987 in Mainz) was a West German heptathlete. Dressel participated in the 1984 Olympic hepthathlon, where she ended ninth,[1] and was fourth in the 1986 European Championships. She died at age 26 due to sudden multiple organ failure, which was at least partly triggered by long-term steroid abuse.[2][3]

Death

According to TIME magazine, Dressel had a very laissez-faire attitude about medication: she stocked large amounts of medicines, and when her mother asked her about it, she said: "These are all harmless drugs. All athletes take them. It's really nothing special."[4] On April 1987, Dressel's condition rapidly declined. She had taken over 100 medications in the last few months, among them steroids.[2] After taking additional medication to relieve back pain, her body went into allergic-toxic shock on April 8, causing rapid multiple organ failure. Due to consistent overmedication, her nerves were so damaged that painkillers were useless.[2] After three days of agony, Dressel died on April 10. An autopsy revealed traces of 101 different medications in her body.[5]

Aftermath

According to the German Olympic Sports Association (DOSB), doping was common in the West German athletes of the 1980s.[3] After her death, a 120-page report was filed where Dressel's death has been officially deemed "due to unknown reasons",[5] but German doping analyst Werner Franke said: "The fatal incident that killed Birgit Dressel was undoubtedly triggered by anabolic doping." ("Das zum Tode führende Ereignis im Körper von Birgit Dressel ist eindeutig durch eine Folge des Anabolika-Dopings ausgelöst worden.")[5] According to the German Olympic Sports Association (DOSB), many West German athletes "in fear flushed their medications down the toilet",[3] but soon many reverted to the old ways of doping.[3] "Helpful" was also the general laissez-faire attitude in West German sports with doping, as the DOSB remarked that neither in sports nor in the legal branch there was any drive to further investigate this death; doping was even called "therapeutic" by some.[3]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Olympic Games, Los Angeles, July-August 1984, Women's heptathlon
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Zum Gedenken an den frühen Tod einer Aktivensprecherin im adh
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Eine Erinnerung an den tragischen Fall Birgit Dressel
  4. ↑ Time: An Athlete Dying Young
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Vor 20 Jahren: Der "Fall Dressel" erschüttert den Sport

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