Lisa Curry: ‘I have proof drug cheats beat me’

Lisa Curry has joined with track legend Raelene Boyle in demanding the record books reflect she was cheated at the Olympics.

Australia's one-time golden girl Lisa Curry wants "acknowledgment" as an Olympic silver medallist as she says she has proof the East Germans were drug cheats.

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Curry has copies of Stasi-files including court documents confirming her East German competitors doped at the 1980 Moscow Games.

In a letter to Curry obtained by The Sunday Telegraph it details the content of German court documents which show "three Olympic medal winners in the women's 100m fly have been given anabolic androgenic steroids".

Curry has taken aim at the International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach and Australian Olympic Committee chief John Coates for failing to correct the record books despite the overwhelming evidence that the East Germans systematically doped.

Former Olympic swimmer Lisa Curry wants the record books corrected to reflect she was beaten by drug cheats at the 1990 Moscow Olympic Games. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

She joins sprinter Raelene Boyle, who was denied three Olympic gold medals, in a fresh push for justice for "clean athletes" that competed against East Germans who were proven to be taking anabolic steroids at the Olympic Games including the 1972, 1976 and 1980 events.

Curry has spoken of her Olympic disappointment before but Boyle's comments and the court documents has prompted her to renew her campaign.

"All we need is an acknowledgment from the people at the top of the Olympic ladder and they are not prepared to do it," Curry said.

"John Coates is a decent Australian man and he should stand up and do something about it."

Curry has revealed to the Sunday Telegraph she flew to Lausanne, Switzerland to confront then International Olympic Committee chief Jacque Rogge nine years ago about correcting the Olympic records to acknowledge East Germany systematically doped.

Rogge told her the conclusion of their one hour meeting that there would be no acknowledgment for clean athletes, no Olympic medals, and instead gave Curry "a T-shirt" which he signed with the words; "to Lisa, a true clean athlete, Jacques Rogge".

Australian swimmer Lisa Curry in 1980.

"I have it packed in a box and haven't looked at it since because I thought; 'wow, that's all you can do? Give me a T-shirt?'" Curry said. "Rogge's care factor was there but not enough to do anything about it."

The swimmer, who won 15 gold medals internationally, dismissed the IOC's now 10-year "statute of limitations" for doping offences. Bach last week said after Boyle's plea for her medals the issue was "very difficult" and wouldn't take action. Neither will Coates.

"The statute of limitations is an excuse because they don't want to open up a can of worms," Curry said.

Curry placed fifth in the 100m butterfly, behind the gold, silver and bronze medallists from the former East German Democratic Republic. Caren Metschuk, Andrea Pollack and Christiane Knacke all stood on the dais at the Moscow Games, with British swimmer Ann Osgerby finishing fourth.

The "blue pill" given to athletes, officially known as Oral Turinabol, was manufactured by the government-run drugmaker VEB Jenapharm.

Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

In the document obtained by the Sunday Telegraph it details that Knacke suffered "severe gynaecological damages" and has since been officially recognised as a "doping victim" by the German Government, German Olympic Committee and Jenapharm the manufacturer of the drugs.

Curry doesn't want her East German competitors' but one good option could be the IOC awarding a "commemorative or acknowledgment medal".

"A commemorative type of medal that's actually presented to us in a sporting environment," Curry said.

"My dream was always to have that done, and if that ever happened, it would be at an Olympic Games in the middle of the stadium.

"I would love the photo of myself on the dais with my arms in the air holding the Kangaroo, that's the moment, but I never got that moment.

"But I don't need the medal. I have a very blessed life. But I would like to be acknowledged in the record books as the second fastest clean athlete in the world for the 100m butterfly in 1980."

In the 1990s Curry travelled to Berlin to meet German doping expert Werner Franke to confirm her competitors had doped. In his office, Franke had thousands of Stasi files and found proof she should have been the Olympic silver medallist.

He told me then; 'Lisa, you deserve to have the silver medal'. Well, I burst into tears," Curry said.

Curry, 57, said she also feels sympathy for East German competitors.

"I don't blame them," Curry said.

"It wasn't their fault. They didn't know the system they were guinea pigs for. To me the blame is on the East German system, the scientists, the doctors, the coaches, the IOC and every country's Olympic Committee for doing nothing. I just think people in my situation feel that tiny bit of emptiness."

Raelene Boyle with her silver medal for 200m women’s final race at 1972 Munich Olympic Games.