Franz-Josef Kemper (born 30 September 1945) is a German

Germans

The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....

 athlete, Olympic participant and official. He achieved his greatest success as a middle-distance runner in the 1960s and 1970s.

Kemper was born in Hopsten

Hopsten

Hopsten is a municipality in the district of Steinfurt, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated approximately 15 km northeast of Rheine and 25 km southeast of Lingen.-Gallery:...

, Kreis Steinfurt, and is married to Sylvia Schenk, jurist and former track and field athlete.

Sports career

In his time as an active athlete (1964-1973), Kemper became a five-time German champion on the 800 metres (in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1970, and 1971). Overall he achieved 11 more titles at the German athletics championships in indoor competition, in relay

Relay race

During a relay race, members of a team take turns running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games...

 and in cross-country running. Kemper was active for SC Preußen Münster

SC Preußen Münster

SC Preußen Münster are a German association football club based in Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia.-History:The club was founded as FC Preussen in 1906 and has its roots in a group formed at the Johann-Conrad-Schlaun Grammar School...

.

In 1966, he achieved a new European

European records in athletics

European records in the sport of athletics are ratified by the European Athletic Association. Records are kept for all events contested at the Olympic Games and some others. Unofficial records for some other events are kept by track and field statisticians...

 800 metres

800 metres

The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...

 record as well as world records

World records in athletics

World records in the sport of athletics are ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations. Athletics records comprise the best performances in the sports of track and field, road running and racewalking....

 in the 1,000 metres and the 4 x 800 metres relay. He took part in 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...

 in 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 finished fourth in the 800 metres 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...

.

In 1967, Kemper was awarded the Silberne Lorbeerblatt (the Silver Laurel Leaf), the highest German athletics award.

Official career

Kemper studied sports, and German language and literature, at the University of Münster

University of Münster

The University of Münster is a public university located in the city of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. The WWU is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, a society of Germany's leading research universities...

 and sociology at the Technische Hochschule Darmstadt

Darmstadt University of Technology

The Technische Universität Darmstadt, abbreviated TU Darmstadt, is a university in the city of Darmstadt, Germany...

. At the TH Darmstadt, he received a Doctor of Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...

 in 1980.

Since the year 2000, Kemper has been the assistant director and director of the sports department and holds an honorary position in the Ministry of the Interior and Sport in Rhineland Palatinate. In March 2003, he was appointed by the council of ministers of the federal states as the national delegate to the 2006 FIFA World Cup

2006 FIFA World Cup

The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...

. He has held this office since 15 April 2004.

Honorary appointments

• 1989-1993: Kemper belonged to the Presidium of the Deutschen Leichtathletik-Verbandes (DLV).
• 1989-1998: A member of the Federal Board on Popular Sports in the Deutschen Sportbund (DSB).
• 1995-1998: Chairman of the Working Group on "Sports in Health" of the DSB.