Dietmar Lacker

Lacker right on the inner lane (1961)

Dietmar Lacker (born October 8, 1936 in Klagenfurt ) is a former Austrian middle-distance runner .

Lacker in the 1950s

Active career

Already in the summer of 1953 he reached 3rd place over 400 meters at the Austrian Youth Championships in Linz. At that time he ran for the Union Klagenfurt club. In autumn he switched to the KAC. In October 1953 he won the British Military Championships over 800 meters. In the following year, 1954, at the age of just 17, he won the 400, 800 and 1500 meter titles at the Carinthian championships. The title triple was the beginning of a great career, during which the Carinthian 800 meter champion was always called Lacker from 1954 to 1965.

In April 1954 he also won the off-road youth championships and then the first major highlight in his young career: Austrian youth champion in Vienna over the 400 meters in 51.70 s and second over 1000 meters in 2:38:00 min at the same time as the winner . This was followed by the state championships with victories in 800 meters, 1000 meters and 1500 meters. In 1956 he was first at the Austrian Junior Championships over 800 meters (in Bregenz). In 1957 he was first in the Austrian Junior Championship over 400 meters (in St. Pölten). 1957 also Austrian national champion in cross country. The start of an unprecedented sports career had begun. In 1959 he achieved the Carinthian record over the 800 meters and a total of 28 state championship victories in the general class over 400, 500, 800, 1000, 1500 meters as well as in the English mile (1609.25 m) and in the 3000 meter obstacle race . Also in the pentathlon (200 m, 1500 m, long distance, discus and javelin) he reached the national championship title of Carinthia, then in the same discipline the 3rd place at the Austrian state championships (1961).

His Carinthian record over 800 meters was not exceeded by Grabul Walter until September 17, 1970, and the 1000 meter record was not exceeded by Grabul Walter until August 25, 1971. The end of his career in athletics was due to injury in 1965. Since 1956 he was also a cross-country skier. Among other things, he took part in the Koasalauf (72 km) and the Dolomitenlauf (60 km), the Tauernlauf and others.

Coaching career

In 1964 he made the apprenticeship training. After successfully passing the exam, Lackers began his coaching career at the KAC, where he was already active. From 1968 he tried it as a trainer and section head of the KAC. By 1988 the athletes he trained had won a total of 42 Austrian championship titles in all classes. Among them were his own daughters. During this time he was also a fitness trainer for the KAC ice hockey team, for the handball players and once for the canoeists and once for the ice hockey women. He has been a cross-country instructor in Carinthia since 1978, and has taught and trained cross-country skiing to over 400 people from many countries.

Functional activities

• State sports warden in the Carinthian Athletics Association,
• Member of the State Sports Council,
• Founding member of the Carinthian Sports Press Club
• 9 years Vice President of the ASVK,
• and most recently chairman of Naturfreunde Klagenfurt for 11 years.
• He still leads the Nordic Walking course at Naturfreunde Klagenfurt

Honors

• He received the "Ehrenpfennig" from the city of Klagenfurt in 1999
• In 1994 he received the " Decoration of Honor of the State " from the state of Carinthia
• In 1994 he received the “ Golden Merit Mark ” from the Federal President of Austria .

family

Dietmar Lacker, married to Burgi, is the father of three daughters Monika Pöck, Silvia Pitschek and Ina Watzke. All three were active in athletics, Ina also in cross-country skiing. Monika Pöck has held the Carinthian school record for 800 meters (2:14:00 min in Zagreb) since December 29, 1957 and is one of the top middle-distance runner in Austria. In 1975 she became the Carinthian high jump champion (1.68 m). Dietmar is also a six-time grandfather. (5 grandsons and 1 granddaughter) The two grandchildren Thomas and Markus Pöck are very successful in ice hockey. Thomas Poeck played between 2005 and 2009 in the NHL for the New York Islanders and currently for the EC KAC. His younger brother Markus Pöck plays for EC Red Bull Salzburg.

Dietmar Lacker

Personal best

• 800 m : 1: 52.00 min Development of the 800 meter record in Carinthia
• 1000 m : 2: 25.00 min Development of the 1000 meter record in Carinthia
• 1500 m : 3: 56.01 min
• 1 mile : 4:25 min
• 500 m: 65.00 s

Individual evidence

1. ↑ KAC ( Memento of the original from February 1, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.