Hannelore Anke


Hannelore Anke is a retired German swimmer who competed for East Germany in the 1970s.

Personal life

Anke was born in 1957 in Bad Schlema. Her mother had a senior position in a textile manufacturing plant and her father was a decorative painter. The sixth of ultimately seven children, she was the first god-child of Wilhelm Pieck, who at the time of her birth was president of East Germany.

Sports career

Anke became junior-champion at the 1971 Junior European Swimming Championships. She had her best achievements in the 100 m breaststroke and 4 × 100 m medley relay. In these two events she won gold medals at the 1976 Summer Olympics and 1975 World Aquatics Championships, and set two world records. In 1975, she also won a world title in the 100 m breaststroke. She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1990.

Doping

Officials from the East German team have later admitted that they administered performance enhancing drugs to Anke during her career.