The deep fall of Witt’s great rival

The figure skating competition at the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary (USA) went down in history as the “Battle of Carmens”. The GDR athlete Katarina Witt (57) and the American Debi Thomas (55) both ran to the music of Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen. This added explosiveness to this East-West duel, which was already fraught with the Cold War.

Witt won it and was crowned Olympic champion for the second time in a row. Thomas, on the other hand, not only fought against her opponent, but also with her nerves. Became world champion in Geneva in 1986, ahead of Witt, but her freestyle in Calgary was too flawed and only enough for bronze.

Not only that distinguishes the two, but also the path they took after their career. Where Witt is known to this day as a presenter, among other things, Thomas has been forgotten. Her fate is tragic.

Two failed marriages

A month after the Olympic Games, Thomas also wins bronze at the World Championships and then ends her career. She completes her medical studies, which she started when she was a figure skater, and marries a fellow student.

The marriage ends, Thomas remarries, gives birth to a son and works as an orthopedic surgeon. Her perfection gets in the way of her work, she often changes jobs. And at some point draws a line under this life. She leaves her husband and child and opens her own orthopedic practice in a sparsely populated region.

Unemployed and drinking problem

The lack of self-employment experience plunges them into misery. She can’t pay bills and fights with other doctors. There are also personal issues. Thomas falls in love with an unemployed miner and in 2012 a dispute with him escalates. She threatens to harm herself. Thomas receives medical treatment and is diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

As a result, she is no longer allowed to work as a doctor. She no longer earns any money and has to file for personal bankruptcy. She lives on social assistance benefits, struggles with alcohol problems and moves into her partner’s caravan.

Once celebrated as the ice princess and great rival of Katarina Witt, Thomas has hit rock bottom.

Source : Blick