Roland Matthes
Roland Matthes in Leipzig ( 1967)
Roland Matthes ( born November 17, 1950 in Pössneck ) is a former German swimmer, world record holder and four -time Olympic champion.
Career
Swimming career
Roland Matthes is still the most successful backstroke swimmer of all time. About seven years - from April 1967 to August 1974 - he came out of all competitions over the back distances as the winner. He won four successive European Champion and three world championships and swam 1967-1973 a total of 19 World and 29 European records. During this time he ruled the world elite in the backstroke so much that his versatility is often a world-class swimmer forgotten. He was for a long time even European record holder in the 100 meters freestyle, 200m individual medley and 100m butterfly. With Roland Matthes of SC Turbine Erfurt dominated for years, the East German swimming competitions of the men in these three layers. He trained at Marlies Grohe.
As an Olympian in 1968, 1972 and 1976, he won a total of eight medals (4 x Gold, 2 x Silver, 2 x bronze). He succeeded to erschwimmen at the Olympic Games in 1968 and 1972 respectively, the gold medals in the 100 meters and 200 meters backstroke. In 1976 he won the bronze medal additionally the 100m backstroke. The success was rounded off by the relay silver medals in 1968 and 1972 more than 4 × 100 meter medley and a bronze medal in the 4 × 100 meter freestyle.
With the World Swimming Championships in 1973 in Belgrade, he was the first world champion in both the 100 meters, as well as over 200 meters backstroke. He could also 100 meters medley relay win the silver and the 4 × 100 meter freestyle relay bronze medal in the 4 ×.
Two years later, at the World Championships in Cali, he defended his title in the 100 meters back.
At the European Championships in 1970 in Barcelona and 1974 in Vienna, he dominated the back distances and won both of these competitions every four European titles over this distance. In addition, he was still in Barcelona European champion with the 4 × 100 meter medley relay in the GDR, vice - European champion in the 100m freestyle and bronze medalist with the 4 × 100 meters and 4 × 200 meter freestyle relay. In Vienna in 1974, he was additionally vice - European champion in the 100 meter butterfly and third with the 4 × 100 meter freestyle relay
Roland Matthes was one of the great Olympic sports stars of the GDR. From 1967 to 1971, 1973 and 1975, he was elected seven times to the East German Sportsman of the Year. In 1981 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the international swimming sport. In 2006 he was appointed as the first and so far the only former East German athletes in the Hall of Fame of German sport.
Another career
He studied from 1970 to 1977 sports science and graduated with a degree in physical education teacher. From 1978 to 1984 he studied medicine in Jena. From 1978 to 1982 he was married to the Olympic swimming champion Kornelia Ender. He now works in Marktheidenfeld as an orthopedic surgeon. On April 6, 2011, Erfurt Südschwimmhalle was renamed in his presence in Roland Matthes Natatorium.
Reference to the GDR doping
In the wake of German reunification and the related research and archival work-ups of the practices of the East German physician and sports officials, many former East German athletes were identified as participants in the systematic GDR doping. Matthes is on the one hand, that there has been in the GDR doping, but on the other hand thinks that he himself was never part of this system, since its civil SC Turbine Erfurt was too small for his playing days.