Silke MÖLLER

The career of East German sprinter Silke Möller was a bit overshadowed by her teammates Marlies Göhr, Marita Koch and Heike Drechsler, although Möller had a long list of successful competitions. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics she won the silver medal with the sprint relay and finished fifth in the 200 metres. She also started the 100 but was eliminated in the semifinals.

In 1987 she was elected East German Sportswoman of the Year after winning triple gold at the World Championships in the 100, 200, and 4x100. That year she was also ranked #1 in the world in the 200. Four years earlier she had won World gold with the sprint relay. In 1985 and 1989 she won the World Cup with the relay and in 1989 also won the 200 metres. At the European Championships she earned relay gold medals in 1986 and 1990, a silver in the 100 in 1990 and bronze in the 200 in 1986. She won six European Cup titles: 4x100 relay in 1983, 1985, 1987 and 1989; and 200 in 1987 and 1989. In 1985 she was indoor World Champion over 60 metres, and also claimed two silver and one bronze at the European Indoors. Domestically she won four outdoor and two indoor championships.

At a doping test during a training camp in South Africa in 1992, a high dose of clenbuterol was found in her urine and that of their teammates Katrin Krabbe and Grit Breuer. All three athletes were suspended for one year by the German Athletics Federation, but the International Athletics Association extended this to two years. Möller immediately retired just before the Barcelona Games and studied sports and history science, later becoming a school teacher for history, social studies and sports. Her suspension was later cancelled by the German Athletics Federation and the IAAF, although many documents on doping in the former GDR became public after reunification, and her name was found among the list of doped athletes.

Personal Bests: 100 – 10.86 (1987); 200 – 21.74 (1987).