Prokop: "Expectations are high for athletes"

DW: Mr. Prokop, the World Athletics Championships are well underway in Beijing. What have you made of the competition and what have your highlights been so far?

Clemens Prokop: I particularly liked the women's shot put, where Christina Schwanitz was crowned world champion. The men's pole vault competition was also unbelievably exciting and from a German perspective, very successful.

The 100 meter final on Sunday was something else though? How did you feel watching the race?

Of course there's a shadow cast over the final when so many previously convicted doping sportsmen are on the start line. On the other hand, the policy is set up so they can compete again and so it is inevitable.

German Olympic discus champion Robert Harting demanded that doped athletes should compete with red start numbers so that the spectators know the truth. What do you think of that suggestion?

Legally speaking, it is a difficult suggestion because the athletes who have served a banned can legitimately compete. And competition, following our policy, means the same conditions are valid for everyone and we wouldn't stigmatize anyone. But of course I understand Robert Harting's frustration. I myself am frustrated, especially when drug takers accumulate in certain disciplines. On the other hand, sport lives on its policy - especially in cases where people didn't adhere to the rules beforehand. If we want to retain uniform conditions in sport then we have to implement these policies systematically, even when it isn't always easy.

You yourself recently said in an interview, efforts had to be made to "repress the doping ghost as much as possible so that it doesn't play a leading role in competitive results." Is that even possible, and if so how?

I think we can improve our fight against doping and make the results even more credible. To do that, we have to combat the causes as well as the tests. In the case of convicted athletes, an existential and financial dependency on sporting success proved to be one of the biggest reasons why athletes turned to doping. For them, sporting success must be achieved at any price.

In Germany, we've developed a good model in which we motivate athletes to pursue a dual career where they can pick up professional qualifications alongside their sporting career. In this concept, the dependency on sporting success is not as great because they have another limb of support. In terms of the tests, it is more and more the case that we have to exhaust all possibilities in order to retain global standards, as well as implementing sanctions in those countries that fail to meet these standards.

What kind of sanctions?

It starts with providing help in countries who are overwhelmed by the task of building functioning doping tests. There are some countries who are not interested in such measures, which are eventually banned or face further .

Sebastian Coe, two-time Olympic winner, is the new president of the IAAF. What hopes have you got in him?

In his election campaign, he prioritized the credibility of sporting performance and the battle against doping. I hope that he puts these plans into action and that he makes all the necessary effort to overcome the weight of credibility, something that has been an issue in the past.

You yourself wished you could have played a more active role, but were not elected to the IAAF council, which by many is considered athletics' global government. Are you annoyed at the decision and how can you, as president of the German Athletics Association, continue to help achieve these goals?

Of course it's annoying that my campaign didn't end successfully. On the other hand, there are countless ways in which we as an influential association in the world of athletics can influence sports politics. I've also had a very close, personal connection with "Seb" Coe over the years and that will improve the current situation compared to recent years.

Do you believe the rumors that you failed to win enough votes because of the recent, uncomfortable revelations by German journalists about the doping practices in athletics?

(laughs) I have no idea because I can't read the minds of the delegates. Fact is, a few of them reacted critically to the reports from Germany. I can say though that I am proud to live in a country where we have such a powerful and engaged media that relentlessly pursued the topic.

The lawyer and former athlete Clemens Prokop has been president of the German Athletics Association (DLV) since 2001. He wrote his thesis on "The confines of the doping ban." For his work in sport, in particular his efforts in the battle against doping, Prokop was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit in 2012.

The interview was conducted by Andreas Sten-Ziemons.