Thomas Köhler
Thomas Köhler ( born June 25, 1940 in Zwickau ) is a former German luger who went to the starting line for the SC tractor Oberwiesenthal and for the GDR. With two Olympic victories (1964 in Innsbruck in single-seaters and 1968 in Grenoble in doubles ) and three World Championship titles ( 1962, Krynica- Zdrój and 1967 in Hammarstrand in single and twin- seater ), he was the most successful luger 1960s. After the end of his active career as a competitive athlete Köhler operated as a coach and sports official. From 1968 to 1976 he was head coach of the luge national team of East Germany and responsible at this time for the successes of athletes to Anna -Maria Müller, Dettlef Günther, Hans Rinn and Wolfgang Scheidel. In the hierarchy of the GDR's top sport holds a doctorate in sports science Köhler reached the summit in the German Gymnastics and Sports Association, whose vice-president, he became in 1980. As such, he was responsible for competitive sports and instrumental in the success of drug- assisted GDR athletes. Köhler was a personal member of the National Olympic Committee of the GDR. At the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo and in Calgary in 1988 he was Chef de Mission of the East German team.
Personal
Thomas Koehler grew up with his two siblings, including younger brother Michael Köhler, in the Erzgebirge community Beier field. Then the father Kurt Koehler had perished in the Second World War, the mother Roselene Köhler was a single parent. Kurt Koehler counted in the 1930's to the German high jump elite. After visiting the Beier Fields Primary School Koehler moved to the Advanced High School Bertolt Brecht in Black Mountain, where in 1958 his Abitur. With a six-week reservist training, he began in the fall of 1958 to study the sports teacher at the German Academy of Physical Culture in Leipzig ( DHfK ). His study was linked to training as a reserve officer in the National People's Army, which he received in the so-called Sports Club Company and graduated in October 1961 with the officer examination in Plauen. From 1 November 1961, he wore the rank of sub-lieutenant of the reserve.
Although Thomas Köhler was a member of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany and is sometimes referred to as the People's Chamber Member of Parliament, he never was a member of the parliament of the GDR. His brother Michael was, however, during the 5th term ( 1967-1971 ) People's Chamber Member for the FDJ.
Kohler since 1963 with his wife Irene, an author of several sports books and former basketball player in the national team of East Germany, married with two children. He lives in Berlin- Pankow.
Career
Sports career
Career in the junior
Thomas Köhler's racing career began in the B- youth handball team of bismuth Beier field, where he later worked as an athlete and gymnast at the club. In 1953, he was delegated to attend the Regional Championships in sledding in Upper Wiesenthal, where he finished last among 13 participants. The following year he won three district championships in the same place, namely in the recliner, in the doubles and mixed doubles. In the from 4 to February 7, 1954 discharged pioneer Championships on the old toboggan run on the road Tambacher in Oberhof he reached together with Heidi Schuffenhauer, the future wife of Ernst Scherzer, second place in the mixed doubles.
At the German Youth Championships in Oberhof, he finished on 20 January 1958 to second place behind Klaus -Michael Bonsack. As a runner he errodelte at the same time a place in the East German national team. A week later he came again in Oberhof with the 4th European Junior Championships where the 65 athletes from eight countries took part, and reached almost three seconds behind Max Leo from Tegernsee the runner-up.
In the fall of 1958, Köhler was one of the participants in the founding congress of the German sled and Bobsportverbandes the GDR In the European Junior Championships in 1959 in the Austrian white bei Liezen he remained without a medal. At national level, Köhler was able to establish in the winter among the top athletes. At the Junior Championship in Oybin Peter White and Thomas Köhler occupied the first two places, which they gained eligibility for the subsequent "real" championship. In this Köhler occupied by a fall in the first run in the seventh place sum, although he set personal bests in the other three runs. Peter White secured, however the title.
Ascent to world and Olympic champion
The World Championships 1960 in Garmisch -Partenkirchen took place due to the non - recognition of the GDR by the FRG as a result of the Hallstein Doctrine and the concomitant exclusion of the East German athletes without Thomas Köhler and the other sledders from the GDR. In the GDR Cup in Oberhof, he finished in early February 1960, over three seconds behind Dieter acorn second place. The following winter he could for the first time participate in the Swiss Girenbad at a World Cup, but was disappointing for him. After a crash in the second race he finished the victory of Poland Jerzy Wojnar 27th place In the National Championships in 1961 in Friedrichroda he won with Klaus -Michael Bonsack the title in doubles (up remained to Kohler's career end Bonsack his doubles partner ) and the runner-up in the single-seater behind Günter Schneider. The summer of 1961 brought about a further deterioration of the initial conditions due to the political constellation. As a result of the Wall of the West German NOC President Willi Tom Thumb announced on August 16 that the entire sports movement between the GDR and the FRG would be discontinued. However, participation in the GDR athletes in international competitions within an all-German team was still possible.
With new training methods ( inter alia water sledding, diving, parachuting ), the 1961/62 season has been prepared, which earned him the breakthrough in the world's best. In January 1962, when he defeated in Krynica -Zdrój in the race for the Cup of the Polish NOK Jerzy Wojnar, Köhler was the first to win an international competition. With this victory, he was one of the favorites in the few days later discharged on the same track World Cup. With 0.14 seconds ahead Wojnar Thomas Köhler won the world title on his home track. The triumph of the East German luger was completed by Ilse Geisler, who was able to secure the women's title. Due to a knee injury he was unable to start in the GDR Cup 1962 in Ilmenau, in which Klaus -Michael Bonsack secured the title.
With the establishment of the Section luge sport at SC tractor Oberwiesenthal in which, among other things, his brother Michael Köhler, Klaus -Michael Bonsack, Ortrun Enderlein and Ilse Geisler trained, the Trainingswhip conditions were 1962 more centered and laid the foundation for the following successes. In Upper Wiesenthal then existed a natural toboggan run with only three curves, so that in practice had to be dodged on the ski slopes at Fichtelbergbahn occasionally, until due to some fast collisions with skiers a strict ban was imposed on toboggan slopes. The following winter 1962/1963 was characterized by the heavy fall in the first run in the race for the Cup of the Polish NOK in Krynica, where he was carried in a curve from the car and thrown to the chin against a lamppost. He suffered a triple mandibular fracture, a severe concussion and a spinal injury. Due to this injury was a start in the World Cup 1963 in Imst, but to which he traveled all with trismus as a spectator and assistant coach on the side of Werner Geinitz not possible. In the national championship in Oberbärenburg he could a few weeks later, however, secure with five seconds ahead of his brother the title in the single-seater, and the title in the doubles. It was not until January 1964 started Köhler again at international races.
At the Olympic Winter Games in 1964 in Innsbruck, where the luge celebrated Olympic Premiere, Köhler was a member of a nine -man bobsleigh team, which was composed of six lugers of East Germany and three from Germany. After four runs he won 0.27 seconds ahead of Klaus Bonsack in the single-seater, while the third-placed Hans Plenk was dissociates with a delay of 3.48 s. Köhler himself emphasized after his Olympic victory that he has won the title for the GDR, even though he had to go to an all-German team at the start: ". Spite of the common team we looked at us rather than athletic opponents " Less successful was the competition in doubles for the duo Köhler / Bonsack. They divorced from a fall in the first run of the race. At the closing ceremony Thomas Köhler was given the honor of being allowed to wear one of eight Olympic champions the Olympic flag from the stadium. In the following national championship in Friedrichroda he won the title in doubles and bronze in the individual race. In June 1964, Köhler, as well Luge Olympic champion Ortrun Enderlein, honored for his achievements with the Patriotic Order of Merit in silver.
On the way to the second Olympic victory and End of career
In winter 1965, Köhler together errodelte in the World Cup on 6 and 7 February in Davos with his partner Bonsack the silver medal in doubles with 0.83 seconds behind the world champions Wolfgang Scheidel and Michael Köhler; in the single-seater, he took over 10 seconds behind the victorious Hans Plank Place 8 In the following DDR Cup in Oberhof, he was successful in doubles. The Luge World Cup 1966, on the spit mountain railway in Friedrichroda should have taken place, could not take place because of the foehn and the associated thaw; also was not carried out DDR Championship.
At the World Championships 1967 in Hammarstrand Köhler dominated with two titles. With .78 seconds ahead of his doubles partner Bonsack he won the title in single-seaters and together with this 0.09 seconds ahead of the Austrian duo Manfred Schmid / Ewald Walch also in the doubles. Because " discriminatory terms " (non- recognition of the GDR due to the Hallstein Doctrine ), the luger from the GDR could not go at the Luge Championships 1967 in Koenigssee at the start. In the GDR Championship 1967 in Oberhof also he still won the national title in doubles.
Köhler became involved as an active speaker. On behalf of all East German athlete, he spoke in April 1967 before the Seventh Congress of the SED for the district of Karl- Marx-Stadt.
At the 1968 Olympic Games, where he standard bearer for the first time at the Olympic Games An incoming as independent team of East Germany was at the opening ceremony on February 6, he won along with Klaus -Michael Bonsack in doubles and was runner-up in single-seater behind Manfred Schmid. After the controversial disqualification of the women's team to Ortrun Enderlein and Anna -Maria Müller " runners scandal," he was an honorary savior of the GDR team. He is one of the most successful German players in Olympic Winter Games.
In his last competitions before retirement from competitive sports Köhler won in 1968 in Friedrichroda nor the national titles in single-and twin -seater. For his " outstanding service to the increase in the international prestige of the GDR" at the Olympic Winter Games in Grenoble him the Patriotic Order of Merit was awarded in silver again in August 1968.
Coach and sports official
Immediately after finishing his career as an active luger Köhler joined a coach and sports official career on June 1, 1968. From 1968 to 1976, Thomas Köhler, head coach of the national team of the German sled and Bobsportverbandes the GDR. With its theoretical and practical knowledge, he helped that this time was a very successful era for the East German luge athlete. Already in his time as an athlete and a research assistant at the Faculty of Sport Methodology of DHfK Köhler in 1967 the manual slide sports: A guide for beginners and trainers. His employment to perfecting the training methodology and equipment for luge athlete culminated in 1974 after one year of non-scheduled graduate course in his doctorate paed. Selected problems on the subject of perfecting the training methodology and equipment in the luge sport under the guidance of Fritz Reichert, Wolfgang Gutewort and Horst idol. The thesis defense took place on 5 December 1974. Technical changes this time were the change from natural ice to ice rinks ( the luge track Oberhof was built as the world's second artificial vereisbare toboggan run from 1969 to 1970 and was inaugurated in 1971 to provide the best possible training conditions for the upcoming major events ) and development of sedentary lying to and aerodynamic sledding without steering belts. Among the most successful major events of his time as head coach in 1972 include the Winter Olympic Games in Sapporo, where the East German athletes all three wins ( by Anna Maria Müller, Wolfgang Scheidel and the double Horst Hörnlein / Reinhard Bredow ) and sum the possible eight of the nine won to be awarded medals and the Olympic Winter Games in 1976 in Innsbruck, where the East German athletes won three victories ( by Margit Schumann, Dettlef Günther and the double Hans Rinn / Norbert Hahn ) and a total of five medals. Similar track records were achieved in 1975 at the World Championships 1973 in Oberhof with three titles and a total of eight medals, 1974 in Koenigssee with two titles and a total of seven medals and Hammarstrand with three titles and a total of six medals.
In the season 1976/1977 was Köhler Head of the GDR national team of special jumping run, in Jochen Dannenberg won the Four Hills Tournament. Köhler visited the Party School at this time and was head of department for winter sports of the German Gymnastics and Sports Association ( DTSB ). Since 1970 he had been a member of the Presidium of the DTSB. In 1977, he became in this department head for winter sports, and finally in 1980 to the influential vice president with responsibility for the performance or from 1987 for winter sports. As such, he was instrumental in the success of drug- assisted GDR athletes. Köhler was Chef de Mission of the East German team at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo and in Calgary in 1988.
In August 1984, he was honored with the Patriotic Order of Merit in gold and in November 1985 with the Golden Badge of Honour of the NOC of the GDR. 1988 Koehler was awarded the Order of Friendship of Nations star in gold. For his services as a coach and sports official, he was also in 1974, 1976 and 1980 awarded the Order Banner of Labor. Until 1990 he was a member of the National Olympic Committee of the GDR. He was considered the designated successor of DTSB President Manfred Ewald.
After the turn
His career as a sports official ended abruptly with the political changes of 1989 /1990. From August 1990 to 1993 was Köhler Managing Director of the SV IHW Alex 78 and then to 2005, marketing director of the delicatessen chain penny delicatessen plant in Berlin.
Because aid for doping in 1999 he was without trial - purely on the basis of witness testimony - sentenced to pay a fine of 26,400 marks for aiding and abetting assault in 107 1977-1989 dated cases. In 2005 he went into retirement.
2010 came Köhler criticized by former East German athletes after. Described in his autobiography " Two Sides of the Coin Thomas Koehler recalls. " The comprehensive GDR state doping, even on minors, admitted this but at the same time justified and in its dimensions and consequences relativized partially. Encouragement was given by Köhler Thomas Bach, the then President of the German Olympic Sports Confederation. Bach welcomed the statements because they were bringing more clarity to the processing of doping history.
Publications
- Luge: A guide for beginners and trainers. 1 A., Sports Verlag, Berlin, 1967 DNB. 457 246 898
- Two sides of the coin. Thomas Koehler recalls. New Life, Berlin, 2010. ISBN 978-3-355-01779-4