Karl-Josef Weissenfels

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Karl-Josef Weißenfels (born March 28, 1952 ) is a former German disabled athlete .

Career

Karl-Josef Weißenfels was born in the Rhineland and comes from Notscheid near Linz on the Rhine , but has lived in Leverkusen since 1954 . After graduating from secondary school, he learned the trade of a travel agent. He then became a regular soldier in the Bundeswehr .

He was interested in volleyball at an early age . He therefore became a member of the leading sports club in Leverkusen, Bayer 04 Leverkusen , in which he soon became one of the top performers. His achievements were also noticed by the German Armed Forces, which accepted him into their sports promotion group. His sporting career was suddenly interrupted in 1982 by a serious motorcycle accident. Due to his severe leg injuries ( orthosis ), he was no longer able to practice his volleyball sport in its previous form. So he switched to sitting volleyball. Because of his outstanding performance, he was soon appointed to the German national team, with which he won numerous national and international competitions. He was 3 times German champion, 5 times European champion and 3 times world champion. The highlight of his career as a volleyball player was winning three gold medals at the Paralympic Summer Games in 1988, 1992 and 1996. Weissenfels was considered the best volleyball player in the world at that time.

For his great sporting successes, he received the silver bay leaf from Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker in 1992 .

As a Rhinelander, he was also involved in carnival times. So he became Leverkusen's Carnival Prince in 2002 as Juppi I. He is married and has five children.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Leverkusen who's who, Karl-Josef Weißenfels
  2. ^ International Paralympic Committee 1996, Sitting Volleyball
  3. ↑ a b Kölner Stadtanzeiger from January 9, 2002 A Prince of Gold ..
  4. ↑ Sports report of the federal government to the Bundestag - printed matter 14/9517 - page 51 ... since 1992 the medal winners of the Paralympic Games have also been awarded the silver laurel leaf ...
personal data
SURNAME Weissenfels, Karl-Josef
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German disabled athlete
DATE OF BIRTH March 28, 1952