Overview

• Investigative journalist Hajo Seppelt says he cannot fully exclude that van Almsick was unknowingly given banned substances by a coach in her youth.
• Van Almsick responds that she cannot judge the broader circumstances then but says no one gave her anything at ages 10 or 11 and that she was "completely outside" the issue.
• The ARD series "Being Franziska van Almsick" revisits her rise from East Berlin prodigy to Olympic medalist at 14 and the pressures that followed.
• She recalls stopping eating during her career, sought therapy in 1998, and says eating disorders are not simply cured but require ongoing vigilance.
• Coverage highlights renewed scrutiny of historical DDR-era sports practices as her on-record reflections prompt fresh public discussion.