Monika Gawenus-Holzner-Pflug

At the young age of 17, Monika Plug took the speed skating world by storm. In the 1972 season, she won the World Sprint Championships, earned an Olympic gold in the 1,000 m in Sapporo, and broke the world record in the sprint combination. While it would remain her best year, Monika Pflug would remain a well-known face in the skating for the next 15 years, disappearing only briefly to become a mother. In that period, she mounted the World Sprint podium three more times, placing third in 1973, 1974 and 1982. She also tried her hand at allround skating, coming 4th in the 1973 European Championships. Her collection of West German titles is impressive, winning the allround crown 8 times (1971-76, 1981-82) and the sprint title 8 times (1975, 1979, 1981-84, 1986-87). Marrying to Franz Holzner in 1974, she competed as Monika Holzner-Pflug for much of her career. Following a divorce and remarriage to fellow speed skater Fritz Gawenus, she competed under that name in the last years of her career.

Personal Bests: 500 – 40.53 (1988); 1000 – 1:23.47 (1984); 1500 – 2:11.26 (1986); 3000 – 4:54.49 (1981).