Hans-Georg Aschenbach

After winning his first national title in 1971, Aschenbach steadily grew to become the world’s best ski jumper. He won the 1973 Ski Flying Championships, the 1974 Four Hills tournament, and both titles at the 1974 World Championships in Falun. This performance earned him the title of East German athletes of the year, but his streak ended the following year. After a serious knee injury, Olympic participation for 1976 even seemed dubious, but Aschenbach recovered and won the normal hill event at Innsbruck.

He retired immediately, and focused on his career as a military doctor. In 1988, as the doctor of the East German ski jumping team, he defected into West Germany, where he works as an orthopaedic surgeon.