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Waldemar Cierpinski

Full name: Hannes Waldemar Cierpinski
Gender: Male
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
Weight: 130 lbs (59 kg)
Born: August 3, 1950 in Neugattersleben, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany
Affiliations: SV Halle, Halle an der Saale (GER)
Country: GDR East Germany
Sport: Athletics

Related Olympians: Husband of Maritta Politz.

Medals: 2 Gold (2 Total)

Biography

Waldemar Cierpinski started his career as a steeplechase runner but switched to the marathon in 1974. He won his second Olympic gold in 1980 and duplicated the feat of legendary Ethiopian Abebe Bikila of winning two Olympic marathons. He was denied a chance of an unprecedented third Olympic marathon win by the Eastern Bloc boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics. He also was ranked #1 in the marathon in 1976 and 1980 as well as East German Sportsman of the Year in these two years. He is now a member of the German NOC. He makes his living self-employed as the owner of two sports articles shops in Halle / Saale and Quedlinburg.

Cierpinski is the father of Falk Cierpinski, a non-Olympian, but a competitor in the marathon at the 2009 World Champsionships. Falk, a former triathlete, won the 2007 Munich Marathon, and together with his father, they are the fastest father-son pair in marathon.

Personal Best: Mar - 2-09:55 (1976).

Results

Glossary ▪ CSV ▪ PRE
Games Age City Sport Event Team NOC Rank Medal
1976 Summer 25 Montréal Athletics Men's Marathon East Germany GDR 1 Gold OB
1980 Summer 29 Moskva Athletics Men's Marathon East Germany GDR 1 Gold

Men's Marathon

Glossary ▪ CSV ▪ PRE ▪ Event History ▪ Mouseover for column descriptions
Games Age City Sport Country Phase Unit Rank T
1976 Summer 25 Montréal Athletics East Germany Final Standings 1 OB 2-09:55.0
1980 Summer 29 Moskva Athletics East Germany Final Standings 1 2-11:03