Monika Pflug

Monika Pflug (* March 1, 1954 in Munich) is a former German speed skater and five-time participant at the Olympic Winter Games.

She won at the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo as a 17 -year-old surprise gold medal in the speed skating over 1000 meters and was until 1990 the only West German speed skater who won a gold medal at the Olympic Games. Immediately after the 1972 Olympics, she won in Eskilstuna also the gold medal in the sprint four-way battle. In her long career - she participated in all Olympic Games till 1988 part - she was almost consistently the world's top 1000 or 500 yards, but could not build on the great successes of 1972 due to injury. Following her marriage to her first husband Franz Holzner she went to for some time under the name Monika Holzner - Pflug, but put this after her divorce again. In September 1984, she married the skater Fritz Gawenus and was henceforth operate under the name Monika Holzner - Gawenus or Monika Holzner - Pflug - Gawenus.

In 1972, she received in a readers' poll and a Bronze Bravo Otto in the youth magazine BRAVO.