In 1976, the USA Women’s swim team secured a victory over the East German women in the 4×100 free relay in Montreal, Canada; USA women’s swimming went on to win its only gold medal at these games against an East German squad that was heavily doped.

This feat for the US was named the greatest untold story of the Olympics.

Casey Converse from cospringsmag.com said that, “the women’s 4×100 freestyle relay final at the 1976 Montreal Olympics is American swimming’s equivalent to hockey’s Miracle on Ice.”

After nearly 40 years the story is finally coming to light. An independent film is being released titled The Last Gold. The Last Gold is a movie depicting “the story of one of the most important pieces in Olympic history,” said Chuck Wielgus, executive director of USA Swimming. This movie will tell the true story of the event at the Montreal Games and what became of those competing athletes.

On August 25, Millikin’s swim team was asked to assist the President’s office with hosting the independent film The Last Gold featuring the 1976 USA Olympic swim team’s defeat of the East German women’s relay at the Avon Theater in downtown Decatur.

Millikin Alumni Marcia Morey, class of 78, was a co-captain of the USA Women’s swim team at the 1976 games. Morey was a junior at Millikin in 1976 when she competed in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke at the Montreal Games. She was thrilled to see her teammates win that gold.

“The one gold medal won by the women’s relay was phenomenal. I was very proud of the relay team, who against all odds beat the East Germans,” Morey said.

Morey has given us a little insight on how she felt about the 1976 summer games and her thoughts on the new movie. She answered the questions that I’m sure everyone had been wondering about. Here they are:

Q: How do you feel about the story finally being told?

A: “It’s a fascinating story about two very different countries and the impact of East Germany’s abuse of their young athletes leading up to the 1976 Olympics.  I’m happy the story has finally been told.”

Q: What were/are your feelings toward East Germany?

A: “My feelings towards the East German swimmers themselves is that I have a lot of compassion for them. They unknowingly were given anabolic steroids. It was not their fault. In fact, Renate Vogel, the East German breaststroker and I became quite good friends and have been in touch ever since the 1973 World Championships. She’s a remarkable and brave person who defected to West Germany and disclosed the doping practices.”

Q: Why do you think it took Shirley Babashoff so long to speak out?

A: “Shirley Babashoff did speak out early on, telling her suspicions that we all had.  It was not until an extensive investigation was done that it was verified 10,000 young East Germans had been using steroids. This movie has been a long time in coming.”

Q: Why do you think that Shirley Babashoff was the most visible victim?

A: “Shirley was the most visible because she was the world record holder in 4 events prior to the East German onslaught.”

Q: Do you think this film portrayed the story correctly/accurately?

A: “Yes, I think the documentary did a fantastic job telling the story. For me it was very emotional as it certainly impacted my life.  I had swum competitively 14 years and swam on the MU men’s team. One year before the Games, I was third in the world in 100 and 200 m breast stroke behind the East Germans. But with their doping and continuous breaking of world records, I was mentally and physically defeated by the time the 1976 Games began.”

Q: Do you agree with the people who say Olympic athletes should be stripped of their medals and records if they took performance enhancing drugs to achieve their bests? Why?

A: “I do think the record book should note the now proven fact that doping influenced the results. I don’t think the individual East German swimmers should be stripped of their medals. They were pawns in the corrupt Communist government system. But I would like to see the American women awarded medals that were denied to them because of the doping. They deserve them.”

The US’ win will forever be the biggest upset in history from the 1976 games.