After allegations in connection with doping in the GDR, the chairman of the Bundestag sports committee, biathlon Olympic champion and long-time national coach, Frank Ullrich, is retiring from his position on the supervisory board of the National Anti-Doping Agency (Nada).
He wants the criticism, which he considers inaccurate, for himself “weigh up and let the office at Nada rest during this time“, explained the SPD politician to the German Press Agency. The allegations should “Neither harm the office nor damage the confidence of doping victims“.
Allegations from former biathlon teammates
The ex-biathlete was involved in the doping system of the GDR: As early as 1991, the former GDR biathlete Jens Steinigen accused the former biathlon trainers in the GDR, Wilfried Boch, Kurt Hinze and Frank Ullrich, of wanting to persuade him to take doping substances. Hinze sued the athlete, but lost the case in the Mainz district court.
In March 2009, former GDR biathlete Jürgen Wirth accused coaches Bock and Ullrich of doping involvement. As a GDR biathlon trainer, Ullrich also ordered the use of the doping agent “Oral-Turinabol” and monitored it. Ullrich’s former teammates from ASK Oberhof Andreas Hess and Jürgen Grundler told the ARD doping editorial team at the time that Ullrich was not telling the truth.
Investigations after research by the ARD doping editorial team
Ullrich energetically rejected all allegations and emphasized that under the name “supporting means” in GDR competitive sport “Vitamins, mineral salts and physiotherapeutic measures” have understood. The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) recommended that the Ullrich matter be clarified by the Commission for Doping Questions.
The German Ski Association (DSV), whose employee Ullrich was at the time, set up its own investigative commission instead. This certified Ullrich in July 2009 “unconsciously controlled change mechanism”. There were no consequences.
Ullrich wants to speak to those affected by doping via the SED victim representative
Ullrich recently accepted the offer of the SED victim commissioner of the German Bundestag, Evelyn Zupke, to talk to her. “Together with her, I will also look for an exchange with people affected by doping. Ultimately, this is a chance to shed more light on the GDR sports system and the role we played in it. The talks will also help to find out where we can better support doping victims“, he said.
CDU and CSU want the dismissal
Ullrich has been chairman of the sports committee in the Bundestag since mid-December, which is automatically entitled to a place on the Nada supervisory board based on the statutes. The CDU and CSU had already submitted an application for the SPD politician to be dismissed at the beginning of the week. “Anyone who sits on the board of directors of an organization whose primary purpose is the fight against doping must have no doubts about their own history of doping. This is not the case with Frank Ullrich“, it says in it.
A commission of the German Ski Association came to the conclusion in 2009 that Ullrich in GDR times “neither instructs nor administers the intake of doping substances to athletes, nor monitors or controls their intakeThe DSV therefore saw no reason for labor or service law steps or sport-political consequences against the then biathlon national coach.
Source: dpa