USOC Might Buy East German Sports Secrets

The United States Olympic Committee’s board of directors Sunday voted to consider buying training and coaching technology from East Germany.

Andrew Kostanecki, chairman of the USOC’s Sports Equipment and Technology Committee, said sweeping reforms in Eastern Europe are forcing the East Germans to sell their technology in order to fund their own Olympic organizations.

“It’s a technological candy store,” said Kostanecki, who visited a sports research center in East Berlin in April. “But I’m concerned that if we sit on our hands too long, people will be hired away, the political atmosphere could change, and the window of opportunity will be closed.”

Besides developing state-of-the-art equipment for luge, sailing, canoe/kayak, rowing and cycling, Kostanecki said the center has developed new ways to measure athletes’ performances.

The East German technology won’t be inexpensive, Kostanecki said, adding that the edge it would give America’s Olympic athletes would be worth the price.

“Sure it’s worth it if you can’t do it any other way,” he said. “We have to realize that we are light years behind in some areas. This is the way you have to do it if you want to compete. The ways we’ve (won) in the past won’t work in the future.”

Said Robert Helmick, USOC president: “We have to make a decision whether to purchase technology and retain some of the technological experts or have our own system of development and delivery. My instincts say it will be more a program of bringing experts here to help us with development. But this is a changing field. It’s not like buying a 100 bushels of corn.”

Helmick said the national governing body for each Olympic sport would decide for itself the best way to acquire the new technology.

“It’s a separate issue that will probably be answered sport by sport,” he said.