Gerd Wessig
Encyclopedia
Gerd Wessig was an East German
high jump
er who won a gold medal in the 1980 Summer Olympics
.
Wessig, a professional chef, trained with the SC Traktor Schwerin under trainer Bernd Jahn. He attended the John Brinckmann School in Goldberg. Shortly before the 1980 Olympics, he surprisingly became East German champion with a personal best result of 2.30 metres and was subsequently nominated for the East German Olympic team. At the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, he was thus amongst the mild favourites, yet that he not only won the gold medal but also set a new world record
with his jump of 2.36 metres was considered a sensation. He thereby became the first high jumper who had managed to improve on the high jump world record at the Olympic Games
. The previous world record holder, Jacek Wszoła from Poland
, won the silver medal.
After the Olympic Games, Wessig tried his luck as a decathlete
(best performance: 8015 points, 23rd of May 1983 in Neubrandenburg
; the equivalent of 7974 points according to the scale introduced in 1985). He turned back to the high jump following frequent injuries. In 1985, he came in second at the World Cup
. In 1986, he reached seventh place at the European Championships
. He became East German champion again 1988 and 1989.
Wessig was 2.01 metres tall and, while he was competing, weighed 88 kilograms. He had trained as a chef and studied gastronomy. Since the end of his active athletics career, he has been running an enterprise in Lübstorf-Rugensee, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern which sells sport equipment, sport and leisure systems, as well as park and garden systems. He married the long jumper Christine Schima (best performance: 6.96 metres, 1984; seventh place at the 1982 European Championships
).
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
er who won a gold medal in the 1980 Summer Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
.
Wessig, a professional chef, trained with the SC Traktor Schwerin under trainer Bernd Jahn. He attended the John Brinckmann School in Goldberg. Shortly before the 1980 Olympics, he surprisingly became East German champion with a personal best result of 2.30 metres and was subsequently nominated for the East German Olympic team. At the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, he was thus amongst the mild favourites, yet that he not only won the gold medal but also set a new world record
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....
with his jump of 2.36 metres was considered a sensation. He thereby became the first high jumper who had managed to improve on the high jump world record at the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
. The previous world record holder, Jacek Wszoła from Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, won the silver medal.
After the Olympic Games, Wessig tried his luck as a decathlete
Decathlon
The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...
(best performance: 8015 points, 23rd of May 1983 in Neubrandenburg
Neubrandenburg
Neubrandenburg is a city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is located in the southeastern part of the state, on the shore of a lake called the Tollensesee ....
; the equivalent of 7974 points according to the scale introduced in 1985). He turned back to the high jump following frequent injuries. In 1985, he came in second at the World Cup
1985 IAAF World Cup
The 4th IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event sponsored by the International Association of Athletics Federations, held on October 4–6, 1985, at the Bruce Stadium in Canberra, Australia.-Men:|width="50"| ...
. In 1986, he reached seventh place at the European Championships
1986 European Championships in Athletics
The 14th European Athletics Championships were held from 26 to 31 August 1986 at the Neckarstadion in Stuttgart, a city in West Germany.-Track:1978 | 1982 | 1986 | 1990 | 1994-Field:1978 | 1982 | 1986 | 1990 | 1994-Track:...
. He became East German champion again 1988 and 1989.
Wessig was 2.01 metres tall and, while he was competing, weighed 88 kilograms. He had trained as a chef and studied gastronomy. Since the end of his active athletics career, he has been running an enterprise in Lübstorf-Rugensee, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern which sells sport equipment, sport and leisure systems, as well as park and garden systems. He married the long jumper Christine Schima (best performance: 6.96 metres, 1984; seventh place at the 1982 European Championships
1982 European Championships in Athletics
The 13th European Athletics Championships were held from 6 September to 12 September 1982 at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece.-Track:1974 |1978 |1982 |1986 |1990 |-Field:1974 |1978 |1982 |1986 |1990 |-Track:1974 |1978 |1982 |1986 |...
).