Bernd Dießner

East German Bernd Dießner later became a successful cross-country coach, coaching, among others, Ulrike Klapezynski-Bruns, Jens-Peter Herold, Jürgen Straub and Olaf Beyer. At Mexico in 1968 he did not reach the 5K final but was second best non-qualifier in the heats. He won a bronze medal in the 5,000 at the 1966 European Championships, placing fourth in 1969 and 14th in 1971 in the event. He also won a silver medal in the 3,000 m at the 1968 European Indoor Games. Domestically Dießner won six titles, in the indoor 3K, and outdoors in the 5K and 12 km cross-country.

After German reunification he became a full-time coach of LAC Erdgas Chemnitz and regional coach of Saxonia for distances between 800 m and marathon. In 2009 it was alleged that he systematically drugged his pupils with medicines and highly concentrated food supplements but no illegal doping preparations, but he denied these practices.

Personal Best: 5000 – 13:31.2 (1972).