Fritz Assmy

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Fritz Assmy
Assmy guided by his grandson, 1991
Personal information
Born11 June 1915
Hankou, China
Died11 June 2000 (aged 84)
Sport
Country GER
SportMasters athletics
EventSprints
Assmy with his son as guide, 1985

Fritz Assmy (11 June 1915 – 11 June 2000) was a blind Chinese-German masters athletics sprinter. He has set numerous masters world records in sprint events from 100 to 400 meters. Born in Hankou, China to Paul Assmy and Shun King Liu,[1] he migrated to Germany at the age of nine.[2]

Assmy had run the 100 Meters in 11.1 at age 18 (1933).[3]: 15  By comparison, the 100 Meters Olympic winning time was 10.3 in both 1932 (by Eddie Tolan) and in 1936 (by Jesse Owens).

Blindness[edit]

In his youth, Assmy planned to be a civilian pilot and joined the German Air Force before World War II as a start for an aviation career. In those pre-war years he had also participated in other sports, including soccer, handball, swimming. In 1938, he crashed on a training flight in a Henschel Hs 123 fighter plane at Württemberg, and lost his vision in both eyes at the age of 23.[2]

Around 1971, Assmy realized that blindness need not keep him out of active sport and resumed training, first in gymnastics, then in track and field.[3]: 15 

During competition he was guided by a sighted runner with a short rope tethered to their wrists, running in the outer lane to avoid getting in the way of other competitors.[4]: 10 

His most notable achievements in athletics were at the World Masters Athletics Outdoor Championships, from 1977 to 1991. In his first 3 WMA Championships (1977, 1979, 1981), he was guided by his son-in-law Klaus Hinrichsen.[2][5] Then, after his daughter and son-in-law split up, he switched to his son as the guide for 1983 and 1985,[6] and then to his grandson in 1991.[7]

Some claimed his guide had "pulled" or "tugged" Assmy in some events, giving him an unfair advantage.[8]: 178 [9][6] In a response to such criticisms, Assmy defended his running technique in a letter published in the June 1985 National Masters News newsletter.[10]

Masters World Records[edit]

Event Age group Competition Location Date Time
100 Meters[11] M75[8]: 191 [4]: 10  1991 World Masters Athletics Championships Turku, Finland July 1991
14.06
M75 Trier, Germany 16 August 1991
M80 Minden, Germany 19 August 1995
200 Meters[12] M60[13] 1977 World Masters Athletics Championships Gothenburg, Sweden August 1977
26.0
M65[14][15]: 7 : 17  1980 European Masters Athletics Championships Helsinki, Finland August 1980
M65[5]: 5 : 11 [3]: 17 [16]: 17 [17]: 18  1981 World Masters Athletics Championships Christchurch, New Zealand 11 January 1981
M65[18][19][20] 1983 World Masters Athletics Championships San Juan, Puerto Rico 23 September 1983
M75 1990 European Masters Athletics Championships Budapest, Hungary 5 July 1990
M80 Minden, Germany 20 August 1995
400 Meters[21] M65[14][15]: 7 : 18  1980 European Masters Athletics Championships Helsinki, Finland August 1980
62.6
M75 1990 European Masters Athletics Championships Budapest, Hungary 1 July 1990

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Fritz Assmy family tree". Ancestry.
  2. ^ a b c "World Veterans Championships Hannover 27.7-2.8.1979" (PDF). Museum of Masters Track & Field. p. 3.
  3. ^ a b c "Special 4th World Veterans Games Issue" (PDF). National Masters News. Museum of Masters Track & Field. February 1981.
  4. ^ a b "5000 Athletes Triumph in WAVA World Championships" (PDF). National Masters News. Museum of Masters Track & Field. September 1991.
  5. ^ a b "The World Association of Veteran Athletes Newsletter 4" (PDF). Museum of Masters Track & Field. World Association of Veteran Athletes. March 1981. p. 5.
  6. ^ a b "IS IT GUIDING OR 'TUGGING'?" (PDF). National Masters News. Museum of Masters Track & Field. April 1984. p. 32.
  7. ^ Kusy, Krzysztof; Zieliński, Jacek (January 2006). Parzy, Wiesława (ed.). Masters athletics. Social, biological and practical aspects of veterans sport. Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego w Poznaniu/Poznan University of Physical Education. p. 52. ISBN 83-88923-69-2. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  8. ^ a b Olson, Leonard T. (Nov 29, 2000). Masters Track and Field: A History. McFarland. ISBN 0786408898.
  9. ^ "World Games Draw 1,935" (PDF). National Masters News. Museum of Masters Track & Field. November 1983. p. 19,22.
  10. ^ Fritz Assmy (June 1985). "How I Run Without Seeing" (PDF). National Masters News. Museum of Masters Track & Field. p. 16.
  11. ^ "All Time World Rankings - 100 meter Dash". Masters Athletics.
  12. ^ "All Time World Rankings - 200 metres Dash". Masters Athletics.
  13. ^ "World Masters Championships Track and Field August 8-13 1977 Slottsskogsvallen Gothenburg Sweden" (PDF). MastersHistory.org. p. 12.
  14. ^ a b Don Farquharson (March 1981). "2250 Compete In European Championships" (PDF). National Masters News. Museum of Masters Track & Field. p. 7.
  15. ^ a b "The 2nd European Veterans Championships" (PDF). The World Association of Veteran Athletes Newsletter 2. Museum of Masters Track & Field. September 1980.
  16. ^ "AGE GROUP BESTS BY FIVE YEAR CATEGORIES" (PDF). The World Association of Veteran Athletes Newsletter 5. Museum of Masters Track & Field. July 1981.
  17. ^ "4th World Veteran Championships" (PDF). Museum of Masters Track & Field.
  18. ^ "Official Results" (PDF). Museum of Masters Track & Field. p. 15.
  19. ^ "4th World Veteran Championships" (PDF). Museum of Masters Track & Field. p. 15.
  20. ^ The WR of 26.20 for M65 200m was set in Heat 3
  21. ^ "All Time World Rankings - 400 metres Dash". Masters Athletics.
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