Ilona Slupianek

Ilona Longo, born Ilona Slupianek on September 24, 1956, in Demmin, is a German former shot putter who competed for East Germany. Standing 180 cm tall and weighing 95 kg, she was a powerful and dominant presence in her event throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Competing under the name Slupianek, she won the Olympic gold medal at the 1980 Games in Moscow and captured European Championship titles in both 1978 and 1982. She was a seven-time GDR national champion in the shot put and twice broke the world record in 1980, with throws of 22.36 metres and 22.45 metres.

Longo's career was, however, also marked by controversy, as she served a one-year suspension for doping. Despite this, her competitive achievements, including an Olympic gold and two European titles, made her one of the most successful shot putters of her generation.