// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho did Birgit Dressel marry? Dressel for success.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 4, 1960 Bremen, West Germany |
| Died | April 10, 1987 (aged 26) Mainz, West Germany |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Heptathlon |
Birgit Dressel (May 4, 1960 – April 10, 1987) was a West German heptathlete. Dressel participated in the 1984 Olympic heptathlon, 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
[edit]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] In 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][6]
Aftermath
[edit]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.[5]
— Werner Franke
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]
References
[edit]- ↑ Olympic Games, Los Angeles, July-August 1984, Women's heptathlon
- 1 2 3 Zum Gedenken an den frühen Tod einer Aktivensprecherin im adh Archived October 22, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Eine Erinnerung an den tragischen Fall Birgit Dressel". Archived from the original on 2012-06-05. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
- ↑ "An Athlete Dying Young". Time. October 10, 1988.
- 1 2 3 Vor 20 Jahren: Der "Fall Dressel" erschüttert den Sport[permanent dead link]
- ↑ Simonović, Ljubodrag (2013-08-23). "The Death of Birgit Dressel". Urban Book Circle. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
External links
[edit]- Birgit Dressel at World Athletics
- Birgit Dressel at Tilastopaja (registration required)
- Birgit Dressel at Olympics.com
- Birgit Dressel at Olympedia
- Report about Dressel's death (in German)
- SWR on Dressel's death[permanent dead link] (in German)
- The German Olympics Sports Association (DOSB) on Dressel'S death[permanent dead link] (in German)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
- 1960 births
- 1987 deaths
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics
- Olympic athletes for West Germany
- German heptathletes
- Doping cases in the sport of athletics
- Sportspeople from Bremen (city)
- Athletes from Bremen (state)
- West German Athletics Championships winners
- Competitors at the 1981 Summer Universiade
- Competitors at the 1983 Summer Universiade
- Competitors at the 1985 Summer Universiade
- 20th-century German sportswomen