Gisela Birkemeyer

Gisela birch Meyer, born Köhler ( born December 22, 1931 in Fasendorf, Saxony ) is a former German track and field athlete and Olympian, which belonged in the 50s and 60s of the 20th century, a world leader in the 80 -meter hurdles.

Life

The daughter of a Berlin engineer grew up in Thuringia and trained as a technical illustrator. Since 1951 she worked at the National Sports Federation of Thuringia in Erfurt and was designed by the then active runner birch Heinz Meyer ( 1922-1991 ) discovered. In 1957 she married her coach Birkenmeyer.

Sports career

About the Sports Club Motor Jena their way went to the SC Dynamo Berlin. Köhler won in the championships of the GDR gold in the 100 - meter race in the years 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960. In 200 -meter run, she won gold in the years 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960. In 80 - meter hurdles, she was in the years from 1953 to 1961 continuously DDR Champion.

In a joint German team for the GDR starting, she won two Olympic medals: In the Summer Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956 the silver medal ( under her birth name Koehler ), and at the Summer Olympic Games in Rome in 1960 the bronze medal. At the European Championships 1958 in Stockholm, she was third in the 80 - meter hurdles. She was also in the 100 - and 200 -meter run and in the pentathlon successful. From 1951 to 1964 she was a total of 40 times GDR champion.

At a size of 1.62 m, they had a competition weight of 60 kg.

Records

Others

In 1956, she was civilian employees of the German People's Police, 1957 VP- nationals ( last captain ). From 1958 to 1963 she was deputy of the city council of Berlin.Nach end of their sports career, she worked from 1965 to 1968 as a junior coach at SC Dynamo Berlin and from 1968 to 1986 as a staff member in the Sports Office of the SC Dynamo. She went into early retirement and lives in Berlin -Marzahn.

Awards