Friedhelm Wentzke

Friedhelm Wentzke (* September 13 1935 in Castrop -Rauxel ) is a former German canoeist. He won the 1960 Olympic gold in Rome and 1964 Tokyo silver.

Wentzke began his career in 1953 at Dortmund FS 98 and started for Eintracht Duisburg later. The qualified electrical fitters and welders later worked as a lifeguard.

At the Olympic Games in 1960 on the Lake Albano, a 4x500 - meter relay in one kayak was discharged once, which was in 1964 replaced by the four-man kayak. For this season, two canoeists were reported from the Federal Republic and Günther pearl mountain and Dieter Krause two canoeists from the GDR with Friedhelm Wentzke and Paul Long. The squadron won gold and was the most successful all-German team.

1961 Wentzke was with the squadron also European champion. From 1961 to 1966 he won ten German league titles, three times the one-man kayak, double kayak twice, three times in the four-man kayak and twice with the relay. At the Olympic Games in 1964 Wentzke was in the four-man kayak at the start. In the pure West German boat Holger Zander, Bernhard Schulze, Wentzke and not gone back to East Germany after the World Cup in 1963 Günther pearl mountain sat. In the final of the Olympic Games the boat from the Soviet Union could not be beat, the German foursome finished second just before the Romanian boat.