As a results of the on-going series of trials in Berlin against former German Democratic Republic (GDR) coaches, and team doctors, Rolf Glaser, former coach of the Sport Club Dynamo in Berlin has been dismissed by hus current employer the province of Upper Austria where he coached Vera Lischke to a European short course title in 1996 in the 50 metres breaststroke.

"It was a difficult decision. But we cannot continue to employ a man who handed out doping substances," said Josef Puehringer, provincial governor of Upper Austria.

As reported in our June issue by Karin Helmstaedt, Glaser was accused of grievous bodily harm from anabolic steroids administered by him to underage athletes without their knowledge. Two of his former swimmers Christiane Knacke-Sommer and Carola Nitschke testified against him. Glaser was fined 7,200 marks (US$4,200) in a Berlin court last week after admitting giving banned performance-enhancing substances to young female swimmers in the 1970s and 1980s.