A problem with Ingo Steuer, German coach...

[chania36]

Hi, I have read this today that he was removed has the coach of the German team and that the team intended to boycot the olympics but now have decided otherwise, they will skate but here what the article is accusing him of...

Steuer is accused of being an informant for the Stasi, which used an elaborate network of spies to keep tab on citizens of the socialist East Germany before the country's unification in 1990.

I think that a lot of things are happening just around the corner of the olympics, a lot of controversy. feel free to comment on this.

 

[Mathman]

Here's the story. Steuer denies the allegations and is threatening legal action.

http://www.sportsline.com/olympics/winter/story/9189815

There was some minor controversy about Katarina Witt also at one time. Prominent athletes were between a rock and a hard place in those days. Steuer would have been pretty young when all this was supposedly going on in the decade 1980-1990. (He was 14 in 1980.)

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Olympics prohibited, Byes, Drugs, Secret Police.

Where is a budding Puccini to score this Figure Skating opera?

 

[Ptichka]

I have extremely mixed feellings on this sort of thing. On the one hand, I have a deep disgust for anyone involved with organizations such as KGB, Stasi, etc. On the other hand, there was nothing illegal about those actions, and I am not sure that firing someone from national team on the basis of such actions this many years ago is all that reasonable. Rather, seems like victors' (belated) justice.

 

[ukicefan]

I have extremely mixed feellings on this sort of thing. On the one hand, I have a deep disgust for anyone involved with organizations such as KGB, Stasi, etc. On the other hand, there was nothing illegal about those actions, and I am not sure that firing someone from national team on the basis of such actions this many years ago is all that reasonable. Rather, seems like victors' (belated) justice.

I too have mixed feelings about this.

There is another news article about Ingo's suspension here:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...spt.oly.germany.secret.police.0404/index.html

Apparently Aliona is really upset and was threatening to boycott the Olympics because of Ingo's removal from the German team.

I really like Savchenko & Szolkowy. Ingo has done a great job with these two and its a shame this has happened now.

 

[Jaana]

I too have very mixed feelings about this whole matter. On one side is the fact that it all happened long time ago, but on the other hand if one does something which apparently has caused more than just little harm to other people (his STASI connection was not considered to be minor, because otherwise he would have been cleared like some other officials), it should not be wiped under the carpet. Very embarrasing situation for a great athlete..., and very sad for the German pair who need their coach at the Olympics.

 

[KBell]

Here's the story. Steuer denies the allegations and is threatening legal action.

http://www.sportsline.com/olympics/winter/story/9189815

There was some minor controversy about Katarina Witt also at one time. Prominent athletes were between a rock and a hard place in those days. Steuer would have been pretty young when all this was supposedly going on in the decade 1980-1990. (He was 14 in 1980.)

ITA he was young - a minor by law in most places and impressionable at best in the ways of the government especially given his age and wanting to skate.

 

[Ptichka]

it should not be wiped under the carpet.

Oh, I agree that this information should be made public. Furthermore, if the athletes were saying "we don't want to work with a former Stasi spy", the federation would have been 100% justified in removing him. This, however, does not seem to be the case.

 

[rain]

While not a fan of secret police in general, I happen to think, even if true, this is unfair to Steuer. As others mentioned, he would have been very young at the time, under enormous pressure from his, at the time, lawful government. Many may have even viewed their actions in keeping tabs on fellow citizens and preventing defections as patriotic. Just look at the McCarthy era in the States....And how many people now would feel tremendous pressure if the CIA, for example, approached them to collect some information for them (they'd likely be told they were helping in an investigation on terrorism).
I remember a similar report about Katarina Witt having ties to Stasi a few years ago. As I recall, it was a fairly routine thing for top level athletes and coaches to be approached to do this kind of reporting on each other.

 

[Mafke]

Two points.

It was hard to not cooperate in the DDR, it was one of the least humane of the eastbloc countries and the whole system depended on having as few non-incriminated people as possible.

I'm hesitant to take Stasi files (if that's where this comes from) at face value.

 

[JOHIO2]

I think Igo had about the same choice as Kat Witt: do things, or else...And the "or else" was well known in EGerm and very unpleasant. Lousy choices with no alternatives and I doubt he could have done anything else at the time. And now he gets punished for surviving. Bad all around. Poor Ingo for getting singled out for what every sportsman and woman was forced to do in order to compete internationally.

 

[attyfan]

Why was there such a detailed "investigation" into Steuer's past now -- when his students are serious contenders for a medal? More detail background checks due to heightened security? I recall reading that a lot of papers about Katerina Witt were released when Germany re-unified; why wasn't Steuer's alleged "Stasi connection" discovered then? Or when he was going to Olys in '98? IMO, this "information" is a little too convenient for somebody.

 

[Jaana]

Why was there such a detailed "investigation" into Steuer's past now -- when his students are serious contenders for a medal? More detail background checks due to heightened security? I recall reading that a lot of papers about Katerina Witt were released when Germany re-unified; why wasn't Steuer's alleged "Stasi connection" discovered then? Or when he was going to Olys in '98? IMO, this "information" is a little too convenient for somebody.

I have understood that there was the biggest research about the pasts of sport officials this year. The investigation was not at all about Steuer or because of his students. Other people were caught as well. Apparently the Germans wanted to have people without a Stasi past in the Olympics. Besides, it seems that Steuer´s Stasi past was not a minor one. If it had been a minor one, he would have been cleared for the Olympics like some others were, wouldn´t he?.

I believe that Steuer was born in 1966, so he was more than an adult as the wall went down.

 

[thisthingcalledlove]

I guess the following article states that Ingo will be able to go to the Olympics!

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsA..._US-FIGURE-SKATING-GERMANY.xml&archived=False

 

[Linny]

Hope this lasts

Hope this injunction allowing him to go lasts. Not having your coach can be devistating!
Linny

 

[Ptichka]

Apparently the Germans wanted to have people without a Stasi past in the Olympics.

This is what I want to understand - who are those Germans who want all Stasi-tainted people out of the Olympics? Is this really driven from the streets? Or is it a politically-motivated initiative (my guess)? If we have German posters here, I'd love to read their take on this.

 

[Jennifer Lyon]

I think Igo had about the same choice as Kat Witt: do things, or else...And the "or else" was well known in EGerm and very unpleasant. Lousy choices with no alternatives and I doubt he could have done anything else at the time. And now he gets punished for surviving. Bad all around. Poor Ingo for getting singled out for what every sportsman and woman was forced to do in order to compete internationally.

And athletes like Katarina and Ingo had NO idea that the Wall would soon come down or that Germany would one day be reunified. I was a teenager during the last years of the Cold War, and even in 1987, 1988, and the beginning of 1989 there was no end to it in sight. These athletes believed that they had to live and work within the system because that system was going to be around for a long, long time. Unless somebody got killed because of Ingo's alleged Stasi involvement, I see no point in punishing him for it now. And even if somebody did get killed, he deserves a fair trial.

 

[Ptichka]

Jennifer, I wouldn't quite go that far. Yes, I'm sure that Stasi tapped all athletes to be potential informants. My guess would be (this is just a guess of course) that inform he did. Any way you look at it, it's not something that can be respected.

 

[Rgirl]

The information in the two articles linked is not enough for me to make a decision about anyone accused in this situation. All I wanted to say is that when Ingo Steuer was skating with Mandy Woertzel, I found him to be one of the most beautiful male skaters I had ever seen. His movement was both lyrical and strong at the same time. Just from his dance ability on the ice, I found Ingo much better than Mandy. Guess who I always watched.

Today, Jian Tong of China reminds me of Ingo. I wish he had a partner closer to his abilities, but that's another topic.

In any case, I find the whole thing with Ingo very sad. Whatever the truth is, somebody was getting or is getting hurt..

Rgirl

 

[Jennifer Lyon]

Jennifer, I wouldn't quite go that far. Yes, I'm sure that Stasi tapped all athletes to be potential informants. My guess would be (this is just a guess of course) that inform he did. Any way you look at it, it's not something that can be respected.

I'm not saying that I respect spies or that I agree with what Ingo did (if indeed he did anything). But at the same time, I don't think his career, or his skaters' careers, should be destroyed because of it.