Gernandt began his sporting career as a sprinter. At the end of the 1950s he was German junior, Württemberg and Bayern champions several times. In 1960, as the reigning German junior champion and European record holder over 100 meters with a time of 10.4 seconds, he was part of the roster for the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. It was also planned for a start in the relay race. A short time before the games, he tore his muscles and was unable to travel to the games. At the German Championships in Berlin in 1960 , he won the bronze medal over 4 × 100 meters with the relay of TSV 1860 Munich , which also included Eduard Feneberg , Martin Reichert and Hans Oesterlein . After he couldn't find his way back to his old achievements, he devoted himself to journalism. In 1961 he began working in the sports department of the Süddeutsche Zeitung . He mainly reported on athletics . In the same year he only just missed another national medal with the relay at the German Championships in Düsseldorf, finishing fourth. Twenty years later in 1981 he became head of department. He held this office until 2002. Well-known and award-winning journalists such as Axel Hacke and Holger Gertz met under him .
He also published books on athletics or was involved in their creation. He is married to the former javelin thrower Erika Strossenreuther . Gernandt has three grandchildren, with twins Paula and Quirin actively playing hockey and Quirin becoming Bavarian champion in 2018. Gernandt is a member of the Sports Association for Organ Donation.
Publications (selection)
Michael Gernandt, Robert Hartmann: Kings of athletics. Copress, Munich 1977, ISBN 978-3-7679-0117-9 .
Michael Gernandt: Athletics - Olympic Games 1984. Copress, Munich 1984, ISBN 978-3-7679-0226-8 .
Michael Gernandt; Robert Hartmann: European Athletics Championships 1986. Copress, Munich 1986, ISBN 978-3-7679-0256-5 .
Michael Gernandt; Robert Hartmann: World Championships in Athletics Rome 1987 , Copress, Munich 1987, ISBN 978-3-7679-0275-6 .
^ Fritz Steinmetz: 75 years of the German Athletics Championships: (1898–1972) . 1st edition. Bartels and Wernitz, Berlin / Munich / Frankfurt (M.) 1973, ISBN 3-87039-956-2 (A contribution to the history of athletics).
Germany
