Olympic Winter Games 1988 / Participant (GDR)

GDR

9	10	6th

The GDR took part in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada with a delegation of 53 athletes and was the second best nation according to the medal table. No GDR representatives took part in the Olympic ice hockey tournament, the alpine skiing disciplines or the demonstration sports.

Participants by sport

biathlon

After Frank-Peter Rötsch won a silver medal in Sarajevo in 1984, he won both individual routes in Calgary. His colleagues were denied further medals, not least in the relay because of 3 shooting errors.

Men's:

• Matthias Jacob (ASK Forward Oberhof)

  Individual (20 km): 9th place

  Relay (4 × 7.5 km): 5th place

• Birk Anders (SG Dynamo Zinnwald)

  Sprint (10 km): 4th place

• Frank Luck (ASK Forward Oberhof)

  Sprint (10 km): 6th place

• André Sehmisch (SG Dynamo Zinnwald)

  Sprint (10 km): 5th place

  Individual (20 km): 7th place

  Relay (4 × 7.5 km): 5th place

• Frank-Peter Roetsch (SG Dynamo Zinnwald)

  Sprint (10 km):

  Single (20 km):

  Relay (4 × 7.5 km): 5th place

• Jürgen Wirth (ASK Vorwärts Oberhof)

  Individual (20 km): 16th place

  Relay (4 × 7.5 km): 5th place

bob

The GDR bobsleigh athletes could not repeat the total dominance of 1984. However, 3 out of 4 GDR bobsleighs won a medal, and thus half of all plaques awarded. Wolfgang Hoppe and Bogdan Musiol won two silver medals.

Four-man bobsleigh

• GDR I

  Wolfgang Hoppe (ASK Vorwärts Oberhof)

  Dietmar Schauerhammer (ASK Vorwärts Oberhof)

  Bogdan Musiol (ASK Vorwärts Oberhof)

  Ingo Voge (ASK Vorwärts Oberhof)

• DDR II 8th place

  Detlef Richter (ASK Forward Oberhof)

  Bodo Ferl (ASK Vorwärts Oberhof)

  Ludwig Jahn (SG Dynamo Zinnwald)

  Alexander Szelig (SG Dynamo Zinnwald)

Two-man bobsleigh

• GDR I

  Wolfgang Hoppe (ASK Vorwärts Oberhof)

  Bogdan Musiol (ASK Vorwärts Oberhof)

• GDR II

  Bernhard Lehmann (ASK Vorwärts Oberhof)

  Mario Hoyer (ASK Vorwärts Oberhof)

figure skating

Katarina Witt was able to win the women's competition again. The competition was stylized as a duel between Witt and Debi Thomas , as both ran to Carmen .

Women:

• Katarina Witt (SC Karl-Marx-Stadt)

  

• Simone Koch (SC Unit Dresden)

  9th place

Couples:

• Peggy Schwarz / Alexander König (SC Dynamo Berlin)

  Pair skating: 7th place

Men

• Michael Huth (SC Unit Dresden)

  23rd place

Speed ​​skating

The speed skaters were able to improve their result from 1984 by one medal. Out of 15 medals to be awarded, they won ten precious metals alone. However, only Christa Rothenburger managed an Olympic victory. After the Olympic Games, Andrea Ehrig, Karin Kania-Enke and Gabi Zange, three extremely successful athletes, ended their careers. With Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann, who started under her birth name Kleemann at the time, the later extremely successful successor had her first Olympic experiences.
With two Olympic victories and one silver medal, the men's team of just four was surprisingly successful. Uwe-Jens Mey and André Hoffmann both set world records for their victories .

Women:

• Christa Rothenburger (SC Unit Dresden)

  500 m:

  1000 m:

• Andrea Ehrig (SC Unit Dresden)

  500 m: 10th place

  1000 m: 4th place

  1500 m:

  3000 m:

  5000 m:

• Angela Stahnke (SC Dynamo Berlin)

  500 m: 4th place

  1000 m: 9th place

• Karin Kania (SC Unit Dresden)

  500 m:

  1000 m:

  1500 m:

  3000 m: 4th place

• Gabi Zange (SC Karl-Marx-Stadt)

  3000 m:

  5000 m:

• Gunda Kleemann (SC Turbine Erfurt)

  1500 m: 7th place

  5000 m: 7th place

• Constanze Scandolo (SC Turbine Erfurt)

  Without any effort

Men's:

• Uwe-Jens Mey (SC Dynamo Berlin)

  500 m:

  1000 m:

• Peter Adeberg (TSC Berlin)

  500 m: 28th place

  1000 m: 8th place

  1500 m: 8th place

• André Hoffmann (SC Dynamo Berlin)

  500 m: 21st place

  1000 m: 15th place

  1500 m:

• Roland Freier (SC Karl-Marx-Stadt)

  5000 m: 8th place

  10,000 m: 8th place

Sledding

The luge riders clearly dominated the competitions. Out of nine medals to be awarded, she won six, including all three Olympic victories. A triple success was celebrated for the women and a double victory for the doubles. With her Olympic victory, Steffi Walter-Martin also became the first double Olympic champion in luge.

Women:

• Steffi Walter-Martin (SC Traktor Oberwiesenthal)

  Single seater:

• Ute Oberhoffner (ASK Vorwärts Oberhof)

  Single seater:

• Cerstin Schmidt (SC Traktor Oberwiesenthal)

  Single seater:

Men's:

• Thomas Jacob (SC Traktor Oberwiesenthal)

  Single seater: 4th place

• Michael Walter (SC Traktor Oberwiesenthal)

  Single seater: 5th place

• Jens Müller (ASK Forward Oberhof)

  Single seater:

• Stefan Krauße / Jan Behrendt (ASK Vorwärts Oberhof)

  Double seater:

• Jörg Hoffmann / Jochen Pietzsch (ASK Vorwärts Oberhof)

  Double seater:

Nordic skiing

Cross-country skiing

The women's cross-country relay achieved a remarkable 5th place. The strongest runner Simone Opitz, as well as Kerstin Mohring in the 20 km run, achieved respectable individual placements.
The cross-country men were only represented by two athletes. Nevertheless, both achieved an impressive 5th place in one discipline.

Women:

• Simone Greiner-Petter (SC Motor Zella-Mehlis)

  4 × 5 km relay; 5th place

  20 km of free style; 15th place

  10 km classic; 21st place

• Susann Kuhfittig (SC Motor Zella-Mehlis)

  5 km classic; 37th place

  20 km of free style; 38th place

  10 km classic; 23rd place

• Kerstin Moring (ASK Vorwärts Oberhof)

  4 × 5 km relay; 5th place

  20 km of free style; 7th place

  5 km classic; 19th place

  10 km classic; 25th place

• Simone Opitz (SC Motor Zella-Mehlis)

  4 × 5 km relay; 5th place

  20 km of free style; 5th place

  5 km classic; 13th place

  10 km classic; 10th place

• Silke Braun (SC Traktor Oberwiesenthal)

  4 × 5 km relay; 5th place

  5 km classic; 25th place

Men's:

• Holger Bauroth (ASK Vorwärts Oberhof)

  15 km classic; 21st place

  30 km classic; 22nd place

  50 km free style; 5th place

• Uwe Bellmann (SC Traktor Oberwiesenthal)

  15 km classic; 5th place

  30 km classic; 15th place

  50 km free style; 8th place

Ski jumping

The ski jumpers were only represented by two athletes. Due to innovations in jump suits, which the GDR was no longer able to implement in time, the GDR representatives' performance was ultimately disappointing. Still Olympic champion in 1984, Jens Weißflog jumped to 9th place on the normal hill and 31st place on the large hill. At the turn of the year 87/88 he was still overall runner-up in the 36th Four Hills Tournament and was one of the favorites of the Olympic competition.

• Remo Lederer (SC Dynamo Klingenthal)

  Normal hill; 21st place

  Large hill; 22nd place

• Jens Weißflog (SC Traktor Oberwiesenthal)

  Normal hill; 9th place

  Large hill; 31st place

Nordic combination

The combiners did not win any precious metal, but were able to shine above all with good individual placements. Uwe Prenzel was only six seconds short of the bronze medal.

• Marko Frank (ASK Vorwärts Oberhof)

  Individual (normal hill 90 m / 15 km): 8th place

  Team (normal hill 90 m / 3 × 10 km); 5th place

• Thomas Prenzel (SC Dynamo Klingenthal)

  Individual (normal hill 90 m / 15 km): 9th place

  Team (normal hill 90 m / 3 × 10 km); 5th place

• Uwe Prenzel (SC Dynamo Klingenthal)

  Individual (normal hill 90 m / 15 km): 4th place

  Team (normal hill 90 m / 3 × 10 km); 5th place

statistics

Medals by sports

More than half of all medals were won by the speed skaters. In general, apart from the two medals in biathlon, all precious metals were won in skating sports. GDR athletes did not win a medal in traditional Nordic skiing.

Medal table (based on the decisions)
space	team	gold	silver	bronze	total
1	Speed ​​skating	3	6th	5	14th
2	Luge	3	2	1
3	biathlon	2	0	0	2
4th	figure skating	1	0	0	1
5	bob	0	2	1	3

Medals according to sports clubs

Thanks to the again strong luge and bobsleigh riders, the ASK Oberhof was able to claim the most medals again. In terms of the number of medals, the SC Einheit Dresden was the second best sports club thanks to its speed skaters.

Medal table (based on the individual athletes)
space	team	gold	silver	bronze	total
1	ASK Oberhof	3	9	2	14th
2	SC Dynamo Berlin	2	1	0	3
3	SG Dynamo Zinnwald	2	0	0	2
4th	SC unit Dresden	1	5	2	8th
5	SC Karl-Marx-Stadt	1	0	2	3
6th	SC tractor Oberwiesenthal	1	0	1	2

Participants by sports clubs

More than a third and even half of the men’s athletes were army athletes from Oberhof. The remaining 34 athletes were divided into nine other sports clubs, with SC Turbine Erfurt being represented for the first time with two speed skaters. Since the SG Dynamo Zinnwald now also started bobsleighing with the Altenberg bobsleigh run, two bobsleigh athletes from Zinnwald took part in the Olympics for the first time.

team	Men	Women	total
ASK Oberhof	18th	2	20th
SC tractor Oberwiesenthal	4th	3	7th
SC Dynamo Berlin	3	2	5
SG Dynamo Zinnwald	5	0	5
SC unit Dresden	1	4th	5
SC Dynamo Klingenthal	3	0	3
SC Karl-Marx-Stadt	1	2	3
SC Motor Zella-Mehlis	0	3	3
SC Turbine Erfurt	0	2	2
TSC Berlin	1	0	1
total	36	18th	54

Web link

• Olympic team of the GDR 1988 in the database of Sports-Reference (English; archived from the original )