Helmut John (marksman)

Helmut John (born January 3, 1931 in Neu-Isenburg , Offenbach district , Hesse ; † July 25, 2012 ) was a German sports official .

Life

Helmut John grew up with a younger sister in Frankfurt am Main. Since the parental home was destroyed in World War II, the family moved to Camberg / Ts. evacuated. He finished school with a high school diploma and then studied electrical engineering, which he completed with his diploma. In October 1960 he married his wife, with whom he had two children (son, born in 1965, daughter, born in 1969). Since he has always been interested in technology and mechanical engineering, he benefited from the fact that his father-in-law had set up a punching knife factory in Offenbach, which mainly produced punching knives for the leather goods industry. At the end of the 1960s he took over the company and expanded it further, e.g. B. He started with the production of punching tools for the label and paper industry and for the automotive industry. In 1999 he handed over his business to his son and son-in-law.

Athletic career

Helmut John joined the 1st Frankfurt Pistol Club and the German Schützenbund (DSB) in 1954 . As an active shooter, he was a multiple Hessian champion and also treasurer of his home club for many years. In 1965 he became the pistol consultant of the association and was responsible for the first time for the implementation of the German championships in this area. He remained in this position for many years until his retirement in 1997. In addition to many other major events for which he was responsible as the organizer, the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich were the highlight, in which he acted as the competition director of the pistol competitions. In addition, he was often a member of competition juries and often chaired them. In 1978 he also became chairman of the Pistol Commission of the European Rifle Federation and remained in this position until 1991. In 1982 John became a member of the Technical Commission of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF, then Union Internationale des Federations et Associations Nationales de Tir , UIT). After retiring from office, he was involved in the DSB Foundation Advisory Board and in the Advisory Board of the German Shooting Museum until his death.

John was honored for his contributions to shooting sports. In 1974 he received the Golden Cross of Honor, in 1980 the Ring of Honor and in 1997 honorary membership of the DSB. He was also an honorary member of the Hessian Rifle Association. In 1992 he was awarded the Blue Cross, the highest award of the world association ISSF. Already after the Olympic Games in 1972 he was awarded the gold medal of the UIT for holding the competitions. He even received a letter of thanks from the GDR for the impeccable implementation.

Web links

• Obituary on the website of the German Shooting Federation
• Honorary member Helmut John turns 80
• In conversation: Helmut John