German Olympic medalist confesses to doping

German Olympic Robert Lechner, who won the bronze medal in the kilometre time trial in the Seoul Olympics in 1988, admitted in a German newspaper that he resorted to doping during his career on the track. In an interview by the Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung, the 41-year-old described the evolution of his drug use, and how he decided to quit track racing after he felt the drugs had harmed his health and performance.

"It is time to shed light on the past" said Lechner, who alleged that the German Cycling Federation was responsible for his doping regimen. "I was strongly advised to take products to ensure my health and to improve my performance," without naming who advised him or which drugs he took..

"I was so accustomed to taking medications. I had the impression that it was natural to exploit the limits of medical assistance. The regimen was described as a safe, low dosage, and everything would be undetectable after two days – my heavy conscience was finally outweighed the prospect of stronger muscles. Yes, I knew that banned substances were involved. But it was a principle: If you are not tested positive, then you are not positive," Lechner continued.

Lechner admitted to using drugs leading up to the 1988 Olympic Games, but a bout of glandular fever in 1990 convinced him to stop track cycling and doping. He had a brief road career before retiring in 1992.