Jürgen Schult
Encyclopedia
Jürgen Schult (born May 11, 1960 in Amt Neuhaus
, Niedersachsen) 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. Schult represented East Germany in the 1988 Olympic
competition in the discus throw on October 1, 1988, where he won the gold medal
.
Later in his long sport career Schult joined the reunified German team. He competed in a second Olympic Games in 1992
, getting a silver medal
, and the 1999 World Championships
, again getting second place. He competed in his final Olympics in 2000
at the age of 40, finishing in 8th place.
After he was unable to compete in the 1984 Summer Olympics
in Los Angeles
due to his country's boycott of the games, he set a world record in the discus in 1986. As an athlete under the East German program, his throw of 74.08 meters bested the previous record of Soviet athlete, Yuriy Dumchev
, by 2.22 meters. This discus world record still stands today and is the longest-standing men's world record ever (having surpassed the length of Jesse Owens
's long jump record, which stood for 25 years and 79 days).
In 1988, at the first track and field competition ever between East and West Germany, Schult refused to shake hands with the man who had beat him, Wolfgang Schmidt
, who had very shortly before moved from East to West Germany.
Schult has a degree in sport and in 2002 became the trainer of the German track and field association's men's discus team.
Schult represented the Traktor Schwerin sport club and trained with Dr. Hermann Brandt, later he represented the Schwerin and Riesa sport clubs and trained with Thomas Schult. While he was actively competing he was 1.93 meters tall and weighed 110 kilograms.
Amt Neuhaus
Amt Neuhaus is a municipality in the District of Lunenburg , in Lower Saxony, Germany.- History :In the course of the eastern colonisation the area of today's Amt Neuhaus became a part of the Duchy of Saxony...
, Niedersachsen) is a former German
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 and the current world record holder 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...
since 1986, currently the longest standing record in men's track and field. Schult represented East Germany in the 1988 Olympic
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
competition in the discus throw on October 1, 1988, where he won the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
.
Later in his long sport career Schult joined the reunified German team. He competed in a second Olympic Games in 1992
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
, getting a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
, and the 1999 World Championships
1999 World Championships in Athletics
The 7th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Estadio Olímpico, Seville, Spain, between the August 20 and August 29....
, again getting second place. He competed in his final Olympics in 2000
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
at the age of 40, finishing in 8th place.
After he was unable to compete in the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
due to his country's boycott of the games, he set a world record in the discus in 1986. As an athlete under the East German program, his throw of 74.08 meters bested the previous record of Soviet athlete, Yuriy Dumchev
Yuriy Dumchev
Yuriy Dumchev is a retired track and field athlete from the Soviet Union, who set the world record in the men's discus throw on 29 May 1983 with a distance of 71.86 metres. That mark still is the Russian record...
, by 2.22 meters. This discus world record still stands today and is the longest-standing men's world record ever (having surpassed the length of Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the sprints and the long jump. He participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he achieved international fame by winning four gold medals: one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the...
's long jump record, which stood for 25 years and 79 days).
In 1988, at the first track and field competition ever between East and West Germany, Schult refused to shake hands with the man who had beat him, Wolfgang Schmidt
Wolfgang Schmidt
Wolfgang Schmidt is a former German track and field athlete, who competed for East Germany at the 1976 Summer Olympics and won the silver medal in the discus throw. A former world record holder, he also won several medals at the European Championships in Athletics. Schmidt made headlines in 1982...
, who had very shortly before moved from East to West Germany.
Schult has a degree in sport and in 2002 became the trainer of the German track and field association's men's discus team.
Career results
- 1979, Junior European championship: 1st place
- 1983, World championship: 5th place (64.92)
- 1986, European championship: 7th Place (64.38)
- 1987, World Championship: 1st place (68.74)
- 1988, Olympic Games: 1st place (68.82)
- 1990, European championship: 1st place (64.58)
- 1991, World championship: 6th place (63.12)
- 1992, Olympic Games: 2nd place (64.94)
- 1993, World championship: 3rd place (66.12)
- 1994, European championship: 3rd place
- 1995, World championship: 5th place (64.44)
- 1996, Olympic Games: 6th place
- 1997, World championship: 3rd place (66.14)
- 1998, European championship: 2nd place
- 1999, World championship: 2nd place (68.18)
- 2000, Olympic Games: 8th place (64.41)
Schult represented the Traktor Schwerin sport club and trained with Dr. Hermann Brandt, later he represented the Schwerin and Riesa sport clubs and trained with Thomas Schult. While he was actively competing he was 1.93 meters tall and weighed 110 kilograms.