Wolfgang Schmidt (athlete)

Last updated

Wolfgang Schmidt
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-T0601-013, IAAF-Worldcup, Wolfgang Schmidt im Wettkampf.jpg
Schmidt at the 1977 IAAF World Cup Final in Düsseldorf
Personal information
Birth nameWolfgang Schmidt
Born (1954-01-16) 16 January 1954 (age 69)
East Berlin, East Germany
Height1.99 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight115 kg (254 lb)
Sport
CountryEast Germany (1974–1987)
West Germany (1988–1990)
Germany (1991–1992)
SportMen's athletics
EventMen's Discus
Club SC Dynamo Berlin
Stuttgarter Kickers
Achievements and titles
Personal best71.16 m (1978)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany
Olympic Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1976 Montreal Discus
European Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1978 Prague Discus
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1978 Prague Shot put
Universiade
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1979 Mexico City Discus
Representing Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany
European Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1990 Split Discus

Wolfgang Schmidt (born 16 January 1954) is a German former track and field athlete who competed for East Germany at the 1976 Summer Olympics and won the silver medal in the discus throw. [1] A former world record holder, he also won several medals at the European Athletics Championships. Schmidt made headlines in 1982 due to his failed attempt to escape from East Germany. He later competed for the Federal Republic of Germany and won third place in the 1990 European Athletics Championships. Born in Berlin, he competed for the SC Dynamo Berlin / Sportvereinigung (SV) Dynamo.

Contents

Athletic achievements

Schmidt at a 1978 competition Bundesarchiv Bild 183-T0812-0032, Wolfgang Schmidt.jpg
Schmidt at a 1978 competition

His personal best throw was 71.16 metres, achieved in August 1978 in Berlin. This ranks him third among German discus throwers, only behind Jürgen Schult and Lars Riedel. [2]

Flight from East Germany

After a disappointing fourth-place finish at the 1980 Olympics and missing the 1981 World Cup in Rome due to a second-place finish in the East German Championships, Schmidt decided to pursue athletic success in the West.

He was constantly under surveillance by the Volkspolizei and they uncovered a plan for his escape (aided by discus colleagues Ricky Bruch and Alwin Wagner); in the autumn of 1982, Schmidt was sentenced to one and a half years in prison. [3] However, one year later he was paroled, on the condition he become a coach with SC Dynamo Adlershof, a sports team of the Felix Dzerzhinsky Watch Regiment.

Schmidt filed a departure request so that he could continue his athletic career in the West. At the end of 1987, he was allowed to move to West Germany, though it was already too late to be considered for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. After the first track competition between East and West Germany, Jürgen Schult, having won the discus throw, refused to shake hands with Schmidt.

Life after political turmoil

In 1992 Schmidt unseated Jürgen Schult as the German champion in the discus throw. He competed in the qualification meets for the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, but was not considered for the German Olympic team (rival Jürgen Schult was chosen and went on to win the silver medal). Schmidt later moved to San Francisco and became a stockbroker and management consultant.

In East Germany, Schmidt competed for SV Dynamo and trained with Joachim Spenke. He later competed for LG VfB Stuttgart and Stuttgarter Kickers. While competing, he was 1.99 meters tall and weighed 115 kg.

Related Research Articles

Rolf Danneberg is a former German athlete who, representing West Germany, won the gold medal in discus throw at the 1984 Summer Olympics with 66.60 metres. He won the Olympic bronze medal in 1988 in Seoul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Möllenbeck</span> German discus thrower (1969–2022)

Michael Friedrich Möllenbeck was a German discus thrower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franka Dietzsch</span> German discus thrower

Franka Dietzsch is a German former discus thrower best known for winning gold medals at three World Championships in Athletics. She won the 1998 European Championships and 1999 World Championships, but did not return to the international podium until her win at the 2005 World Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jürgen Schult</span> East German discus thrower

Jürgen Schult is a German former track and field athlete and, as of November 2023, the world record holder in the discus throw. Dating from 1986, this is the longest-standing record in men's track and field. Schult represented East Germany in the 1988 Olympic discus competition, where he won the gold medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabriele Reinsch</span> East German discus thrower

Gabriele Reinsch is a German track and field athlete. She represented East Germany in the 1988 Olympic Games in discus throw.

Margitta Pufe, is a German track athlete, who from the mid-1970s to 1980 competed for the German Democratic Republic and was among the world's best shot putters and discus throwers. Her greatest achievement was winning a bronze medal at the 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow in shot put.

The men's discus throw event at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program was held at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday, 24 September and Monday, 25 September. Forty-five athletes from 28 nations competed. The event was won by Virgilijus Alekna of Lithuania, the nation's second victory in the men's discus throw. Lars Riedel of Germany took silver, becoming the 13th man to win multiple discus throw medals. Frantz Kruger earned South Africa's first medal in the event with his bronze.

Irina Meszynski is a retired East German discus thrower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ludvík Daněk</span> Czechoslovak discus thrower

Ludvík Daněk was a Czechoslovak discus thrower, who won the gold medal at the 1972 Olympic Games with a throw of 64.40 m (211'3").

Wolfgang Warnemünde is a retired East German discus thrower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alwin Wagner</span> West German discus thrower and weightlifter

Alwin Josef Wagner is a West German discus thrower and weight lifter, who was affiliated with University Sportclub Mainz.

The men's discus throw was an event at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. There were 40 competitors from 30 nations. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The final was held on July 31, 1996. The event was won by Lars Riedel of Germany, the nation's first victory in the men's discus throw. Belarus won two medals in its debut, with Vladimir Dubrovshchik earning silver and Vasiliy Kaptyukh taking bronze.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Harting</span> German discus thrower (born 1984)

Robert Harting is a retired German discus thrower. He represents the sports club SCC Berlin, his coach is Torsten Schmidt. He is a former Olympic, World, and European champion in the men's discus throw. His younger brother Christoph is the event's 2016 Olympic champion.

The final of the men's discus throw event at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain was held on August 5, 1992. There were 32 participating athletes from 24 nations. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The top 12 and ties, and all those reaching 63.00 metres advanced to the final. The event was won by Romas Ubartas of Lithuania, a victory for the nation in its debut appearance in the men's discus throw. Jürgen Schult took silver, the first medal for unified Germany. Roberto Moya earned Cuba's first men's discus throw medal since 1980 with his bronze. Ubartas and Schult became the 11th and 12th men to win multiple discus throw medals; they had both represented different nations (the Soviet Union and East Germany, respectively, in 1988 and had finished one-two then as well, though in the opposite order.

The men's discus throw event at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea had an entry list of 29 competitors from 20 nations, with two qualifying groups before the final (12) took place on Saturday October 1, 1988. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Jürgen Schult of East Germany, the nation's first victory in the men's discus throw and first medal since 1976. Romas Ubartas of the Soviet Union took silver, while Rolf Danneberg of West Germany earned bronze. Danneberg was the 10th man to win multiple discus throw medals, adding to his 1984 gold. For the first time, the United States competed in the event but did not make the podium.

The men's discus throw event at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Soviet Union had an entry list of 18 competitors from 12 nations, with one qualifying group and the final (12) held on Monday July 28, 1980. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Viktor Rashchupkin of the Soviet Union, the nation's first medal and first victory in the men's discus throw. Imrich Bugár put Czechoslovakia back on the podium in the event after a one-Games absence, taking silver. Luis Delís earned Cuba's first men's discus throw medal with his bronze. The United States, which had earned at least one medal in every appearance of the event prior to 1980, missed the podium due to the boycott.

Jorge Fernández is a Cuban track and field athlete who competes in the discus throw. He won the gold medal in the event at the Pan American Games in 2011 and is a two-time winner at the Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics. His personal best throw is 66.50 m, set in Lausanne in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apostolos Parellis</span> Cypriot discus thrower

Apostolos Parellis is a Cypriot track and field athlete specializing in discus throw. He is the current Cypriot national record holder with 66.32 m since October 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christin Hussong</span> German javelin thrower

Christin Hussong is a German track and field athlete who competes in the javelin throw. She has won gold at the 2011 World Youth Championships, 2015 European U23 Championships and at the 2018 European Championships. Hussong holds the European Championships record with her personal best throw of 69.19 m.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lukas Weißhaidinger</span> Austrian athlete

Lukas Weißhaidinger is an Austrian discus thrower and shot putter. He was European junior discus champion in 2011 and holds the Austrian record in men's discus throw. He won bronze medals at the 2018 European Championships, 2019 World Athletics Championships, and 2020 Summer Olympics.

References

  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Wolfgang Schmidt". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016.
  2. ""Ewige" Bestenliste der deutschen Leichtathletik" ["Eternal" list of the best in German athletics](PDF). leichtathletik.de (in German). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2007.
  3. Wallechinsky, David (2012). The Book of Olympic Lists. London: Aurum Press Ltd. pp.  232. ISBN   9781845137731.
Records
Preceded by Men's Discus World Record Holder
9 August 1978 – 29 May 1983
Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's Discus European Record Holder
21 May 1976 – 29 May 1983
Succeeded by