Karin Illgen is a retired female discus throw

Discus throw

The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...

er, who competed for East Germany during her career. She represented East Germany 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...

 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...

, finishing in tenth place in the overall-rankings. Illgen is best known for winning the gold medal in the women's discus event at the 1970 Summer Universiade

1970 Summer Universiade

The 1970 Summer Universiade, also known as the VI Summer Universiade, took place in Turin, Italy.After the City of Lisbon defected hosting the 1969 Universiade, the games were assigned to Turin to be held next year.-Medal table:...

 in Torino. She also participated at the 1971 European Championships in Athletics

1971 European Championships in Athletics

The 10th European Athletics Championships were held from 10 August to 15 August 1971 in the Olympic Stadium of Helsinki, the capital of Finland.-Track:1966 |1969 |1971 |1974 |1978-Field:1966 |1969 |1971 |1974 |1978-Track:...

, but was eliminated in the qualification round.