Quick Facts
LibraBiography
Ileana Gergely Silai (born October 14, 1941) is a retired Romanian middle distance runner. She won the silver medal over 800 metres at the 1968 Summer Olympics behind Madeline Manning but ahead of Mia Gommers.
In the 800 metres, she also won silver medals at the 1971 and 1972 European Indoor Championships. She won a gold medal in 1978, this time over 1500 metres.
Doping
Silai was banned for taking anabolic steroids in 1979 for 18 months. After 8 months she was reinstated after IAAF President Adriaan Paulen of the Netherlands said that an 18-month suspension in the steroid case would have kept the women out of the Moscow Olympics, which would have constituted "an extra penalty." He said that the IAAF Council had therefore reinstated them for "humane reasons."