Fritz Hofmann (athlete)

Fritz Hofmann ( born June 19, 1871 in Roßleben; † July 14, 1927 in Berlin ) was the first German athlete who won a medal at the Olympics. At the Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 he went to Germany and finished second in the 100 -meter run. He was in the same games as third in the 400 -meter run.

On the first day of competition games, 6 April (25 March according to the rules in force in Greece Julian calendar), he finished the third elimination round of the 100-meter competition behind the Americans Thomas Edward Burke took second place and qualified for the final run. There, he finished with a time of 12.2 s second place and was awarded the bronze medal for this purpose (1896 was the runner-up is no silver medal ).

In the 400-meter final race, he finished with Charles Gmelin third place with a time of 55.6 s when high jump competition he finished in fifth place with 1.55 m. Also, he finished fifth in the shot put. In addition, he participated in the triple jump competition, where he was sixth.

How not uncommon at that time, Fritz Hofmann also took part in the competitions of other sports as track and field athlete. With the bars team Germany (Fritz Hofmann, Conrad Böcker, Alfred Flatow Gustav Felix Flatow, Georg Hillmar, Fritz Manteuffel, Karl Neukirch, Richard Röstel, Gustav villain, Carl Schuhmann, Hermann Weingartner ) he won as a team leader the gold medal. As a " team leader" not gymnastics Hofmann who himself with, but were from outside the turn commands. Also the team gold medal, he was with the German team in stretching exercises (Fritz Hofmann, Conrad Böcker, Alfred Flatow, Gustav Flatow, Georg Hillmar, Fritz Manteuffel, Karl Neukirch, Richard Röstel, Gustav villain, Carl Schuhmann, Hermann Weingartner ). Added to this is a third place in the individual discipline Brachiation.

Hofmann, who was also very successful in rowing and cycling, also took part in the next three Olympic events in part: 1900 Vorturner, 1904 as a team leader and 1906 - during the Summer Olympics in Athens - again as a 100 - meter runner ( in lead excreted ) and as Vorturner.

For his exceptional contribution to the spread and maintenance of the physical exercises you gave him the Prussian Order of the Crown. As a result of colon surgery Fritz Hofmann died on 14 July 1927 in Berlin.

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