Theodor Kleine

Theodor " Theo" Small ( born September 4, 1924 in Lünen, † February 12, 2014 ) was a German canoeist. He took part in the 1956 Olympics and won a silver medal.

Career

During the Second World War, Little won his first title at the German Youth Championships. His first title at the German Championships in adult category he won in 1947. Overall, he won seven league titles until 1951, together with the canoeists Knepper. In 1954, he won together with the Mannheim Ernst Steinhauer at the World Championships in Macon bronze at the 10,000 - meter course. Theo Small launched until 1954 for the canoe and ski club Lünen and moved in 1955, together with Georg Lietz to Bertasee Duisburg. In Duisburg, the two canoeists in Michel Scheuer and Gustav Schmidt had two strong partners with whom they should win numerous championship titles in four-man kayak in the next few years. At the Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956, however, Little met with the Düsseldorf Fritz Briel in the double kayak on the 10,000 - meter course in which both won the silver medal behind the Hungary János László Urányi and Fabian. 1957 and 1959 Little won each European Championship gold with the four-man kayak over 10,000 meters and silver over 1000 meters. Even more successful of the four-man kayak was at the World Cup 1958 in Prague. Both over 1000 meters and 10,000 meters won Scheuer, Lietz, Schmidt and Small World Championship title.

Theo Small ended his athletic career in 1960, until his retirement, he worked as a sports teacher.

German championship

• Double kayak 500 meters: 1955, 1956
• Double kayak 1000 meters: 1948, 1950
• Double kayak 10,000 m: 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1957
• Quad kayak 1000 meters: 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959
• Four - kayaking 10,000 meters: 1955, 1959,
• 4 x 500 - meter relay: 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959
• One team champion kayak: 1956