Christoph Höhne
Encyclopedia
Christoph Höhne (born 12 February 1941 near Leipzig
, Saxony
) is a retired racewalker
of the SV Dynamo
. He competed at 50km for East Germany in the 1960s and 1970s. He was trained by Max Weber.
Höhne won a gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics
at Mexico City
and participated in the Olympics in 1964 and 1972. His Olympic victory made history as his margin of victory was over ten minutes. He participated in an episode of the cold war
in sports at the 1972 Summer Olympics
in Munich
: On the evening before the race, East German officials received an anonymous tip that he wanted to defect during the 50 km race. They did not believe the allegations, but Höhne went to the start line unnerved and finished in fourteenth place.
Höhne won twice at the European Championships
(in 1969
and 1974
). He won the IAAF World Race Walking Cup
at 50km in 1965, 1967 and, 1970 and came in third in 1973.
After his sports career, he studied photography
and became a well known sports photographer in East Germany. Among other things, he received a gold medal at the International Sports Photography Exhibition in Reus
, Spain
in 1978. After the unification of Germany, he has done freelance photography for the daily newspapers Junge Welt
and Sportecho.
Note:
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
) is a retired racewalker
Race walking
Racewalking, or race walking, is a long-distance athletic event. Although it is a foot race, it is different from running in that one foot must appear to be in contact with the ground at all times...
of the SV Dynamo
SV Dynamo
The Sports Club Dynamo was the sport organization of the security agencies of former East Germany. The sports club was founded on 27 March 1953 and was headquartered in Hohenschönhausen in East Berlin...
. He competed at 50km for East Germany in the 1960s and 1970s. He was trained by Max Weber.
Höhne won a gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
at Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
and participated in the Olympics in 1964 and 1972. His Olympic victory made history as his margin of victory was over ten minutes. He participated in an episode of the cold war
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
in sports at the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
: On the evening before the race, East German officials received an anonymous tip that he wanted to defect during the 50 km race. They did not believe the allegations, but Höhne went to the start line unnerved and finished in fourteenth place.
Höhne won twice at the European Championships
European Championships in Athletics
The European Athletics Championships is an event organized by the European Athletic Association. It is organised every four years, the same year as the Commonwealth Games and between the Summer Olympic Games cycle. After the 2010 Championships in Barcelona, the European Championships will take...
(in 1969
1969 European Championships in Athletics
The 9th European Athletics Championships were held from 16 September to 21 September 1969 in the Karaiskaki Stadium of Athens, the capital of Greece. New at these championships were the women's 1,500 metres and the women's 4x400 metres relay event....
and 1974
1974 European Championships in Athletics
The 11th European Athletics Championships was held from 2 September to 8 September 1974 in the Stadio Olimpico of Rome, the capital of Italy.-Track:1969 |1971 |1974 |1978 |1982-Field:1969 |1971 |1974 |1978 |1982-Track:1969 |1971 |1974 |1978 |1982...
). He won the IAAF World Race Walking Cup
IAAF World Race Walking Cup
The IAAF World Race Walking Cup is a race walking event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It has been held since 1961, and generally on a biennial basis. Women first entered the 1979 edition. It was formerly known as the Lugano Cup after the city that hosted the...
at 50km in 1965, 1967 and, 1970 and came in third in 1973.
After his sports career, he studied photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and became a well known sports photographer in East Germany. Among other things, he received a gold medal at the International Sports Photography Exhibition in Reus
Reus
Reus is the capital of the comarca of Baix Camp, in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain. The area has always been an important producer of wines and spirits, and gained continental importance at the time of the Phylloxera plague...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 1978. After the unification of Germany, he has done freelance photography for the daily newspapers Junge Welt
Junge Welt
junge Welt is a German daily newspaper published in Berlin. The jW describes itself as a left and Marxist newspaperIt was first published on 12 February 1947 in the Soviet Sector of Berlin. junge Welt became the official newspaper of the Central Council of the Free German Youth on 12 November 1947...
and Sportecho.
Note: