From the archive record
When 18 years old Grit Breuer cried at last year's European track and field championship. It wasn't just the emotion of an athlete who'd set a world junior record. For this was the last time she'd compete under the flag of the GDR. Breuer has grown up in the northern city of Brandenberg a popular holiday resort in the summer and along with her fellow European gold medalists she is the successful product of the GDR boarding school and club system that produced so many great talents not surprisingly perhaps she appreciates the value of her training. German athlete, Grit Breuer speaks about, she says, "I hope the system will survive although I was skeptical about it. I think the superior system culture maintains the whole of German art antique will drop to a mediocre level by the year 2000".