Thrown Free : How the East German Sports Machine Molded, Trained, and Broke an Olympic Hero and How He Won His Fight for Freedom

by William Oscar Johnson, Anita Verschoth, Wolfgang Schmidt

Tells the story of a world-class East German athlete who was broken by his government's whims

310 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Eric Bottern]

It wasn't the best writing in the world, but was such a captivating story. I feel very grateful for the opportunities given to me. However, it is amazing what East Germany was able to accomplish in the sporting world. Imagine living in a communist country and the athletes are receiving all the resources , I'd be quite upset. The sheer amount of gold medals and performance through state sponsored athletics/doping is something that will never be achieved again. Wolfgang Schmidt seems like someone who got a taste of the West and realized who he was at his core. Amazing that the stasi weren't able to break his spirit when he was banned from the sport and subsequently thrown in prison. I hope to find something I love as much as Wolfgang loves California.