History Unplugged Podcast · History Unplugged
The Chemistry of Conquest: Behind the USSR’s State-Sponsored (and Steroid-Powered) Olympic Glory
·1 hr 4 min·5 clips
Vasily Aleskyev, the 360-pound super heavyweight who set 80 world records, was fueled by state-mandated anabolic steroids.
As heard by us
A clear look at how the USSR turned Olympic success into a state project.
This episode treats Soviet Olympic success as a state-built machine, not a clean sports story. It follows the pressure to win from Stalin onward, the civilian and military titles that let athletes train full time, and the way the system reached into strength sports, where…
Why you'd press play
You want the Cold War behind the medals, not just the medal count.
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