Michael Gross (swimmer)
Michael Gross ( born June 17, 1964 in Frankfurt am Main ) is by sum of its total of 21 title wins at Olympic Games, World and European Championships the second most successful German swimmers. [Note 1] He started for the EOSC, a swimming club in Offenbach am Main. Due to its large arm span of 2.13 m at 2.01 m body length his nickname Albatros, he had received in 1983 by a French reporter for the sports daily L' Équipe was .. During the 1984 Olympic Games Jörg Wontorra created the winged word: "Fly, Albatross, fly ...! "
Sporting career
Even as a 16- Years' he managed a second place at the German Championships in Munich in 1980 over 100 m butterfly. This second course would have brought him straight away the Olympic participation in Moscow, however, the federal German NOK boycotted the Moscow Games. When the Swede Pär Arvidsson was 54.92 seconds with Olympic champion, United swam almost the same time in Toronto in 54.69 seconds, the 100 m butterfly. A year later he became the first German champion in the 100m butterfly and 200m freestyle. In 1982 he established himself permanently in the best in the world when he won at the World Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador on 200 m freestyle and 200 m butterfly.
At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles United Gold won the 200m freestyle and the 100m butterfly (each in world record time ) and silver over 200 m butterfly and with the West German 4 × 200 m freestyle relay. In 1985, he won the European Championships in Sofia in six starts six gold medals (200 m freestyle, 100 m and 200 m butterfly and with all three West German squadrons ). After the defense of his world title over 200m freestyle and 200m butterfly in 1986 in Madrid, he won Olympic gold over 200m butterfly and bronze in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. In 1991, he finished after the World Cup in Perth - where he again won a gold medal - his career as a swimmer.
United won a total of three gold medals at the Olympics, was five times World Champion and thirteen times European Champion ( seven times as a single float, six times with different seasons ). He set twelve world records and 24 European records, including 1985 's 400m freestyle, a discipline which he hardly ever started. So he had this year temporarily held four world records ( this is before him succeeded only Mark Spitz ) what he can in his book wins each as his greatest athletic performance called. He currently still holds the German record for the 200 m butterfly. Michael Gross is next to Ursula Happe, Dagmar Hase and Britta Steffen, the only swimming Olympic medalist of the Federal Republic of Germany (2012 ). Only him and Britta Steffen managed to win even a world title on a single line.
The world swimmer of the year in 1983 and 1985 became the first German athlete four times (1982, 1983, 1984, 1988) Sportsman of the Year (only Boris Becker was just as often selected). The Federation of European sports journalists ( UEPS ) elected United 1983 European Athlete of the Year, a year later, the press agency Polska Agencja Prasowa (PAP ) also to Europe's Sportsman of the Year. In 1995 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the international swimming sport.
Michael Gross was not only top swimmers, but also a leading figure within the German national team. To this end, he allowed himself to always come up with a special appearance for the final season of major competitions. In his last race for Germany who entered 4 × 100 m medley relay at the 1991 World Championships in Perth, the German squadron in costumes popular Australian animals (eg Kangaroo and Koala ) the starting bridge.
Michael Gross was open in his training schedule for new ways and ideas. He was more than twice 90 minutes per day in the water and forced the weight training very much. To this end, he also won the staying power outside of the pool, especially on the bike. His coach, who looked after him during his sporting career, Hartmut Oeleker was.
Another career
United studied German literature, political science and media studies and a doctorate in philology in 1994 in Frankfurt on "Aesthetics and public: the journalism of Weimar Classicism ." In September 2011, he published the non-fiction book wins can do that. In August 2013, the reference book was followed by self-coaching. Since 2003, United has a lectureship at the private University of Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.
Great is working as an independent consultant since 2001 in Frankfurt / Main and since 2012 in Königstein im Taunus. In 2003, he was briefly the position of Managing Director of the Olympic bid of Leipzig in 2012 in an interview. Even for the failed candidacy of the city of Berlin for the 2000 Olympics, he was part-time as a consultant.
From 2001 to 2005 Great was a member of the board of the German Sports Aid Foundation ( DSH) and the Presidium of the National Olympic Committee (NOC ) for Germany. In addition, he headed from 2003 the Economic Council of the German Sports Aid Foundation. The end of 2005 he resigned his seat as a member of the board, since he did not agree with the proposed changes in the management structure of DSH. Since 2010 he has been an ambassador initiative respect! No place for racism.
Great is married and the father of two children since 1995.
Sporting successes
Success at the Olympic Games
Success at World Championships
Successes at European Championships
Existing Records
Awards
- German Swimmer of the Year: 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990
- Junior Sportsman of the Year: 1981
- European Athlete of the Year " Frank Taylor Trophy": 1983
- European Athlete of the Year (PAP ): 1984
- World Swimmer of the Year: 1985
- European Swimmer of the Year: 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986
- Sportsman of the Year ( Germany ): 1982, 1983, 1984, 1988
- Inclusion in the Hall of Fame of the International Swimming Sports: 1995
Writings
- Michael Gross: Siegen, each. Every day, ask the right questions. Ecowin Verlag, Salzburg 2011, ISBN 978-3-7110-0013-2
- Michael Gross: self-coaching. Use self-motivation, career planning, change as an opportunity and go your own road to success. Publisher Springer Medizin, Berlin, 2013, ISBN 978-3-642-38038-9