Gabriele Reinsch
Encyclopedia
Gabriele Reinsch is a German
track and field
athlete. She represented East Germany in the Olympic games in the discus throw
.
On July 9, 1988 at the East Germany - Italy
tournament in Neubrandenburg
she set a new world record with a throw of 76.80 meters. This was 2.24 meters further than the previous record, set by the Czechoslovakia
n Zdenka Šilhavá
, and 2.72 meters further than the world record for men (who throw a discus weighing twice as much) set by Jürgen Schult
(DDR) 6 June 1986. Reinsch's record still stands (as of the 2010 season) (the East German Martina Hellmann
had in fact thrown 76.92 meters and 78.14 meters, both on September 6, 1988 but these came in an unofficial event and could not be counted as the world record.)
Reinsch began competing at the age of 14 and tried at first the high jump
and shot put
, even placing second in the shot put at the 1981 junior European championships. In 1982 she switched to the discus.
During the course of her world record setting season, she bettered her personal best by 9.62 meters, from 67.18 meters, (her personal best in 1987) to the record setting 76.80 meters.
Reinsch belonged to the Cottbus sport club until 1985 and then from 1986 to the ASK Potsdam. She trained with Lothar Hillebrand. During her competitive years she was 1.84 meters tall and weighed 88 kilograms.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete. She represented East Germany in the Olympic games in the discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
.
On July 9, 1988 at the East Germany - Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
tournament in Neubrandenburg
Neubrandenburg
Neubrandenburg is a city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is located in the southeastern part of the state, on the shore of a lake called the Tollensesee ....
she set a new world record with a throw of 76.80 meters. This was 2.24 meters further than the previous record, set by the Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
n Zdenka Šilhavá
Zdenka Šilhavá
Zdeňka Bartoňová-Šilhavá is a retired female track and field athlete from the Czech Republic, who set the world record in the women's discus throw on 26 August 1984 with a distance of 74.56 metres...
, and 2.72 meters further than the world record for men (who throw a discus weighing twice as much) set by Jürgen Schult
Jürgen Schult
Jürgen Schult is a former German track and field athlete and the current world record holder in the discus throw since 1986, currently the longest standing record in men's track and field...
(DDR) 6 June 1986. Reinsch's record still stands (as of the 2010 season) (the East German Martina Hellmann
Martina Hellmann
Martina Hellmann, née Opitz , is a retired German track and field athlete who represented East Germany. She was the Olympic champion in the discus throw at the 1988 Summer Olympics. She also won the World Championship in that event in 1983 and again in 1987.Hellmann was sixteen years old when she...
had in fact thrown 76.92 meters and 78.14 meters, both on September 6, 1988 but these came in an unofficial event and could not be counted as the world record.)
Reinsch began competing at the age of 14 and tried at first the high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
and shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
, even placing second in the shot put at the 1981 junior European championships. In 1982 she switched to the discus.
During the course of her world record setting season, she bettered her personal best by 9.62 meters, from 67.18 meters, (her personal best in 1987) to the record setting 76.80 meters.
International highlights
- 1981, Junior European championship: 2nd place in shot put (16.70 - 15.90 - 15.31 - 16.53 - 17.03 - 16.37)
- 1987, Universiade: 2nd place (64.12 m)
- 1988, Summer Olympics: 7th place in the discus (67.26 - 66.50 - 63.30 - 65.88 - 66.40 - DQ)
- 1990, European championship: 4th place in the discus (DQ - 63.46 - 64.30 - DQ - 66.08 - 65.06)
Reinsch belonged to the Cottbus sport club until 1985 and then from 1986 to the ASK Potsdam. She trained with Lothar Hillebrand. During her competitive years she was 1.84 meters tall and weighed 88 kilograms.