Marita Koch

Cooking in the GDR Championships 1984

Marita Koch ( now Marita Meier - Koch) ( born February 18, 1957 in Wismar ) is a former track and field athlete (DDR ). She won at the 1980 Olympic Games gold medal over 400 meters and still holds the world record for the 400 meters as well as the European record in the 200m.

Life

After Marita Koch at the 1976 Olympic Games due to an injury (muscle tear) was unable to attend, were the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow to their single games. They brought with victory over 400 meters and together with the East German 4x400 meter relay team two medals. The 400 meters, she won in 48.88 s in the season she took the anchor leg together with Gabriele Löwe, Barbara Krug and Christina Lathan silver.

At the 1984 Olympics she was unable to attend because of the boycott of the socialist states. For the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, she was but then again firmly planned. But shortly before she stepped back from active competition. She stated their tendons hurt too much and they do not believe in it, " to be able to do it again."

Marita Koch experienced with the World Championships in 1983 even a World Series appearance. Produce there she was with three gold medals and one silver medal also equal to the successful athlete. At the Championships in Helsinki she won the 200 meters ( 22.13 s ), 4 times 100 and about 4 meters by 400 meters. About 100 meters she won silver. Your countrywoman Marlies Goehr reached the goal five hundredths of a second ahead of her.

The most medals collected Marita Koch, however, at the European Championships. Overall, it was six times European champion. From 1978 to 1986 she won three times in succession the gold medal over 400 meters. With the East German Marita Koch season where she won the gold medal in each well. At the European Championships 1982, she also produced both the 400 m ( 48.16 s ) and with the relay ( 3:19,04 min ) to new world records. Both records could undercut again.

Marita Koch succeeded in 1975-1986 to be 19 times GDR champion, she won ten titles in the hall, nine outdoors. Your last title they won at the Indoor Championships in 1986.

Koch had a competition weight of 61 kg at a height of 1.71 m. Her coach at SC Empor Rostock, Wolfgang Meier, with whom she is married. Koch studied medicine at the Wilhelm Pieck University. In 1989, she broke off his studies and opened a sports shop in Rostock, in 2000, she ran a fashion business.

World Records

Overall, Marita Koch was set 15 world records in Olympic disciplines. Only the Australian sprinter Betty Cuthbert get more world records.

She scored seven world records on their parade route, the 400 meters. The 47.60 s of 1985, when they at the World Cup in Canberra until the Russian Olha Wladykina - Bryshina ( 48.27 s ), the entire competition clearly defeated, were not offered until now. Besides cooking was only the Czech Jarmila Kratochvílová ( 47.99 s on 10 August 1983) a run under 48 seconds. Her first world record was set Marita Koch, however, about 200 meters on, a month before their first world record in the 400 meters. At age 21 (1978 ), she ran the half lap in Erfurt Steigerwaldstadion in 22.06 s A year later, she finally pushed the brand to 21.71 s, which is still a European record. In 1984 she confirmed that time again.

Two more world records get Marita Koch in non-Olympic disciplines, in the 4 x 200 - meter relay and the 50 meters in the hall.

  • 22,06 s: May 28, 1978 in Erfurt ( Steigerwaldstadion )
  • 22,02 s: June 3, 1979 in Leipzig
  • 21.71 s ( ER): June 10, 1979 in Karl- Marx-Stadt
  • 21.71 s: July 21, 1984 in Potsdam
  • 49.19 s on 2 July 1978 in Leipzig
  • 49.03 s: August 19, 1978 in Potsdam
  • 48.94 s: 31 August 1978 in Prague
  • 48.89 s: July 29, 1979 in Potsdam
  • 48,60 s: August 4, 1979 in Turin
  • 48,16 s: September 8, 1982 in Athens
  • 47.60 s ( WR): October 6, 1985 in Canberra
  • 42,10 s: June 10, 1979 in Karl- Marx-Stadt
  • 41.53 s: July 31, 1983 in Berlin
  • 3:19,04 min: September 11, 1982 in Athens
  • 3:15,92 min: June 3, 1984 in Erfurt
  • 6.11 s: February 2, 1980 in Grenoble

Explanations: WR = existing world record; ER = existing European record

Doping allegations

1991 was the doping opponents Berendonk Brigitte and Werner Franke several theses and dissertations former GDR doping researchers make in the Military Medical Academy in Bad Saarow. Based on the work, let the state-organized doping practices of many well-known East German athletes, including Marita Koch reconstruct. According to the information received Marita Koch 1981-1984 high doses of Oral Turinabol. Marita Koch denies having taken doping agents.

Awards

  • East German Sportswoman of the Year in 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983 and 1985.
  • Three -time World Sportswoman of the Year
  • European Athlete of the Year 1985
  • Honorary citizenship of Wismar ( 1988)
  • Patriotic Order of Merit in Gold / Silver / Bronze
  • Large Star of International Friendship
  • AIPS olive branch
550125
de