Jürgen Gröbler
Encyclopedia
Jürgen Gröbler is a German
rowing
coach, formerly the Olympic
team coach of East Germany and later of Great Britain
. He has coached crews to Olympic gold medals at every Olympics from 1972 to 2008.
Having coached East Germany to success since 1972, when Germany was reunited and the East German national sports administration collapsed in 1991, Gröbler moved to Britain, where he was employed by Leander Club
and the Amateur Rowing Association
. Controversy surrounded the appointment, given the suspicions that drug use had been rife in East German sports and that any senior coach would have been involved or had knowledge of the drugs programme. In an interview in 1998 he admitted that he had "difficulties" with the thought that drug taking may have caused medical problems for rowers, and that he had given "snippets" of information to the Stasi
, the East German security organisation. Steve Redgrave defended him, blaming the East German system for the drug use, rather than Gröbler personally, in keeping with Gröbler's own statement that "I have to live with what went on in East Germany. I was born in the wrong place. It was not possible to walk away."
For Great Britain he achieved Olympic golds with:
In August 2000, the month prior to coaching the coxless four to gold in Sydney, he took part in a 3-part BBC
documentary entitled Gold Fever
. This followed him and the team in the years leading up to the Olympics, showing the hard work and tough decisions he faced in the quest for gold.
In 2000 he won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award
, and in March 2006 he was presented an honorary Order of the British Empire
(OBE) by Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell for his contribution to British sport.
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...
rowing
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
coach, formerly the Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
team coach of East Germany and later of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. He has coached crews to Olympic gold medals at every Olympics from 1972 to 2008.
Having coached East Germany to success since 1972, when Germany was reunited and the East German national sports administration collapsed in 1991, Gröbler moved to Britain, where he was employed by Leander Club
Leander Club
Leander Club, founded in 1818, is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world. It is based in Remenham in the English county of Berkshire, adjoining Henley-on-Thames...
and the Amateur Rowing Association
Amateur Rowing Association
British Rowing, formerly the Amateur Rowing Association , is the governing body in England for the sport of rowing. It is also responsible for the development and organisation of international rowing teams representing Great Britain...
. Controversy surrounded the appointment, given the suspicions that drug use had been rife in East German sports and that any senior coach would have been involved or had knowledge of the drugs programme. In an interview in 1998 he admitted that he had "difficulties" with the thought that drug taking may have caused medical problems for rowers, and that he had given "snippets" of information to the Stasi
Stasi
The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security (German: Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS), commonly known as the Stasi (abbreviation , literally State Security), was the official state security service of East Germany. The MfS was headquartered...
, the East German security organisation. Steve Redgrave defended him, blaming the East German system for the drug use, rather than Gröbler personally, in keeping with Gröbler's own statement that "I have to live with what went on in East Germany. I was born in the wrong place. It was not possible to walk away."
For Great Britain he achieved Olympic golds with:
- Steve RedgraveSteve RedgraveSir Steven Geoffrey Redgrave CBE is an English rower who won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000. He has also won three Commonwealth Games gold medals and nine World Rowing Championships gold medals...
and Matthew PinsentMatthew PinsentSir Matthew Clive Pinsent CBE is an English rower and broadcaster. During his rowing career, he won 10 world championship gold medals and four consecutive Olympic gold medals, of which three were with Steve Redgrave...
in 1992Rowing at the 1992 Summer OlympicsAt the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, 14 events in rowing were contested, eight for men and six for women.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-See also:*Rowing at the Summer Olympics*List of Olympic medalists in rowing...
and 1996Rowing at the 1996 Summer OlympicsTaking place at Lake Lanier, Georgia, United States, the 1996 Summer Olympics saw the debut of lightweight rowing events. The three included replaced the remaining coxed events for men and the Women's Coxless Four...
in the pair - James CracknellJames CracknellJames Cracknell, OBE is a British rowing champion and double Olympic gold medalist and adventurer. Cracknell is married to TV and radio presenter Beverley Turner; they have three children. In the New Year Honours List, 2004, he was appointed OBE for services to sport...
, Tim FosterTim FosterTimothy "Tim" James Carrington Foster MBE is a British rower. He began rowing at Bedford Modern School and competed in the Junior World Rowing Championships in 1987 and 1988. In the latter he competed in a pair with a Matthew Pinsent. He became the first British rower to win gold medals at two...
, Steve RedgraveSteve RedgraveSir Steven Geoffrey Redgrave CBE is an English rower who won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000. He has also won three Commonwealth Games gold medals and nine World Rowing Championships gold medals...
and Matthew PinsentMatthew PinsentSir Matthew Clive Pinsent CBE is an English rower and broadcaster. During his rowing career, he won 10 world championship gold medals and four consecutive Olympic gold medals, of which three were with Steve Redgrave...
in 2000Rowing at the 2000 Summer OlympicsFinal results for the Rowing events at the 2000 Summer Olympics:The event is probably most noted for Steve Redgrave's winning his fifth Olympic gold medal in as many games in the British men's coxless four. However, there were a number of other dramatic races. Both the men's and women's single...
in the four - Steve WilliamsSteve Williams (rower)Stephen David Williams OBE is an English rower and double Olympic champion.In April and May 2011, Steve will be taking part in Richard Parks'...
, James CracknellJames CracknellJames Cracknell, OBE is a British rowing champion and double Olympic gold medalist and adventurer. Cracknell is married to TV and radio presenter Beverley Turner; they have three children. In the New Year Honours List, 2004, he was appointed OBE for services to sport...
, Ed CoodeEd CoodeEd Coode, MBE is a British rower, twice World Champion and Olympic Gold medalist.Educated at Papplewick School, Ascot, Eton College, University of Newcastle upon Tyne and Oxford University, where he attended Keble College and rowed in the Oxford crew at the 1998 Boat Race.Coode won his first World...
and Matthew PinsentMatthew PinsentSir Matthew Clive Pinsent CBE is an English rower and broadcaster. During his rowing career, he won 10 world championship gold medals and four consecutive Olympic gold medals, of which three were with Steve Redgrave...
in 2004Rowing at the 2004 Summer OlympicsRowing at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place at the Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre and featured 550 competitors taking part in 14 events....
in the four, and - Tom JamesTom JamesThomas James MBE is a Welsh rower, Olympic Champion, and victorious Cambridge Blue.-Education:James was educated at The King's School, Chester, where he took up the sport of rowing...
, Steve WilliamsSteve Williams (rower)Stephen David Williams OBE is an English rower and double Olympic champion.In April and May 2011, Steve will be taking part in Richard Parks'...
, Peter ReedPeter Reed (rower)Peter Reed MBE is a British Olympic rower. Reed has achieved two gold medals and two silver medals in the World Championships, and in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he earned a gold medal in the Men's coxless four.- Biography :Reed was born in Seattle, but his family moved to England several months...
, and Andrew Triggs-HodgeAndrew Triggs-HodgeAndrew Triggs Hodge MBE is a British rower and an Olympic and double World Champion.- Education :...
in 2008Rowing at the 2008 Summer OlympicsRowing competitions at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing were held from August 9 to August 17, at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park.- Events :14 sets of medals were awarded in the following events:*Single sculls men*Pairs men...
in the four.
In August 2000, the month prior to coaching the coxless four to gold in Sydney, he took part in a 3-part BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
documentary entitled Gold Fever
Gold Fever
Gold Fever was the name of a BBC documentary shown in August 2000, which followed Steve Redgrave and his coxless four team in the years leading up to the Sydney Olympics, where Redgrave was looking to claim his fifth consecutive gold medal...
. This followed him and the team in the years leading up to the Olympics, showing the hard work and tough decisions he faced in the quest for gold.
In 2000 he won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award
BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award is an award given annually as part of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony each December. The award is given to the coach who was considered to have made the most substantative contribution to British sport in that year. The award is...
, and in March 2006 he was presented an honorary Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(OBE) by Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell for his contribution to British sport.