Sports | Olympics Germany Revives Schools to Turn Out Olympians Return to East German model to restore Olympic glory By Matt Cantor Posted Aug 2, 2008 9:10 AM CDT Copied Germany's volleyball team celebrates after winning the men's volleyball world final qualification tournament for the Beijing Olympics in Duesseldorf, western Germany, Sunday, May 25, 2008. (AP Photo/Rene Tillmann) Concerned over its sixth-place overall finish in the Athens Olympics, Germany is taking steps to centralize its athletic training program in a move reminiscent of the notorious East German training machine, the Wall Street Journal reports. In a country where membership in local sports clubs is the norm for athletes, the government is lavishly funding sport-focused schools offering a solid shot at gold. East Germany’s sporting-school system, associated with ruthless training and steroids, was dropped after the country’s unification. But Germany, which boasts the second-highest number of total gold medals, has seen its Olympic ranking slip over the past few Games. Now, following the lead of countries like Australia and Japan, it is supporting a renaissance of centralized support for sport—without the steroids. Read These Next Who added bill's proposed tax on clean energy? No one knows. Actor Michael Madsen is dead at 67. Trump gives merch to hesitating Republicans. Pardoned Capitol rioter receives life sentence. Report an error