Thomas Fahrner

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Thomas Fahrner (born July 2, 1963 in Ludwigshafen ) is a former German swimmer .

He started his swimming career in France (ASPTT Lyon). The sports magazine L'Équipe called him "le plus Français des Allemands" ("the most French of the Germans"). From 1982 to 1984 he studied business administration and mathematics at the University of Lyon III , then business administration at the University of Southern California ( BS , 1987) and at Harvard University ( MBA , 1996).

As an individual swimmer, Fahrner was German champion in the 400 m and 1500 m freestyle in 1983 and in 1987 and 1988 in the 100 m freestyle. He also won the 1985 German Championship in the relay for EOSC Offenbach over 4 × 200 m freestyle and 4 × 100 m medley . In 1986 and 1987 he was German team champion with the EOSC .

At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles , he was one of the favorites to win the 400 m freestyle Olympic gold medal, but failed with his chosen strategy: According to his own statement, Fahrner deliberately wanted to swim slowly in the run-up to start on one of the outer lanes in the finals and with a single glance to be able to observe all competitors. Despite a victory in the preliminary run, he failed to qualify for a place in the final by nine hundredths of a second. In the B run he then swam the Olympic record and thus faster than the American George DiCarlo in his Olympic victory . This makes him the only swimmer in Olympic history who won all runs in the same competition and set an Olympic record and still did not become an Olympic champion. Fahrner was ninth in the final standings. In this Olympic competition Fahrner also achieved bronze in the 200 m freestyle and silver in the 4 × 200 m relay.

At the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988 he achieved bronze again with the German relay over 4 × 200 m and was also 8th over 200 m freestyle, 14th over 100 m freestyle and 4th over 4 × 100 m medley.

At the European Swimming Championships he was four times European champion with the German team, in 1983 , 1985 and 1987 over 4 × 200 m freestyle, in 1985 also over 4 × 100 m freestyle. In 1987 he was also third in the 400 m freestyle and won second place with the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay.

At the 1986 World Championships in Madrid, he was third with the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay and finished fourth in the 200 m freestyle.

With the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay (together with Rainer Henkel and Michael Groß, among others ), Thomas Fahrner set several world and European records.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ swimsportnews - "Olympic Moments: Fastest in the final and yet no medal". Retrieved July 11, 2019 .
  2. ^ Spiegel online - "If you are not there, you cannot win". Retrieved July 11, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Short report by NDR
personal data
SURNAME Fahrner, Thomas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German swimmer
DATE OF BIRTH 2nd July 1963
PLACE OF BIRTH Ludwigshafen