Dick backs the hiring of tainted coach

Denise Lewis's new coach Frank Dick has defended the decision of the Olympic heptathlon champion to work with the man credited with masterminding the biggest 
state-sponsored doping programme in history.

Dr Ekkart Arbeit, former head of the East German athletics team, has been hired by Lewis to help with conditioning work and improving her throwing skills as she prepares to make her comeback.

Lewis has taken the decision despite documentary evidence linking Arbeit with a doping programme which included giving anabolic steroids to teenage athletes without their knowledge.

"She needs the best advice available and to make sure she receives it I have decided to draw together the right sort of team," said Dick, former head coach of the British squad. "I have decided that Ekkart is the best person to work with me on throws and conditioning work to help Denise."

Arbeit was unmasked by Professor Werner Franke, who discovered his name in the files of the East German secret police, the Stasi, following the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

He had been involved in shaping doping policy with doctors and state officials since 1968. Franke also found evidence that proved Arbeit had spied for the Stasi.

"I have read what has been written about Ekkart but I'm also aware that he was cleared by the German courts," said Dick. "It is a matter of historical record what was going on in East Germany but I'm not in a position to judge all of those things."

In fact Arbeit was never cleared by the courts because, unlike other coaches, he was not prosecuted. Under German law only people administering the drugs can be charged.

The Arbeit programme involved every athlete who represented East Germany in the Olympics between 1972 and 1988. Heidi Krieger, the 1986 European shot put champion, was so affected by working with Arbeit for seven years that six years ago she was forced to have a sex-change operation.

"I haven't forgiven Dr Arbeit," said Krieger. "He was a good coach but I would certainly not let my own children be coached by a man like that. I had no idea what the pills were he was really giving me."

According to Stasi files Arbeit operated under the code name Claus Tisch and filed more than 1,000 pages of spy reports. He once reported two doctors for refusing to administer drugs to athletes.

Dick has previously helped Arbeit secure coaching positions with West Hartlepool rugby union team and as the head athletics performance director in Australia and South Africa. Both withdrew their offers when full details emerged of Arbeit's past.

Lewis will also come under pressure to drop Arbeit, particularly in view of Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery ending their association with Ben Johnson's former coach Charlie Francis following opposition from their shoe sponsors Nike. Lewis is also sponsored by the United States sportswear company.

Lewis turned to Dick after being dropped by Charles van Commenee, the Dutch coach who helped her take the Olympic gold in Sydney in 2000 but who doubted her commitment following the birth of a daughter last April. She plans to take part in her first competition since Sydney at the European Cup combined events meeting in Tallinn, Estonia, in July.