Peter Frenkel
Encyclopedia
Peter Frenkel is an East German
athlete who was one of the best 20 km race walkers in the world in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
He won the gold medal for East Germany in the Munich
Olympics of 1972
in the 20 kilometre walk, in a time of 1:26:43. He defended his title at the 1976 Olympics
held in Montreal
, Canada
, finishing in third place.
He first competed in the Olympics at the 1968 Summer Olympics
in Mexico City
, where he finished in tenth place, with a time of 1:37:21. He came fourth at the 1971 European Championships
in a time of 1:27:52.8. He had retired early from the sport by the time of the 1974 European Championships.
He used a decompression chamber belonging to the state airline Interflug
in training for the 1972 Olympics, so as to simulate the effects of altitude training.
He set two World Records
during his racing career, the first in 1970 (1:25:50), the second in 1972 (1:25:19.4) equalling Hans Reimann
's record.
He served in the East German Army
while training, rising to the rank of Major. After finishing his racing career, he became a well-known photographer in East Germany. He was vice-president of the Union of German Olympians (Gemeinschaft Deutscher Olympiateilnehmer, or GDO) from 1991 to 1998. He then became a press officer for OSC Potsdam athletic club.
He raced for the ASK Vorwärts Potsdam club (the army sports club). He was coached by Wilhelm Kustak until 1968, and then by Hans-Joachim Pathus. In his racing years he was 1.82m (6ft 0in) tall, and weighed 76kg (167lbs).
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
athlete who was one of the best 20 km race walkers in the world in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
He won the gold medal for East Germany in the Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
Olympics of 1972
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
in the 20 kilometre walk, in a time of 1:26:43. He defended his title at the 1976 Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
held in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, finishing in third place.
He first competed in the Olympics at the 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, where he finished in tenth place, with a time of 1:37:21. He came fourth at the 1971 European Championships
European Championships in Athletics
The European Athletics Championships is an event organized by the European Athletic Association. It is organised every four years, the same year as the Commonwealth Games and between the Summer Olympic Games cycle. After the 2010 Championships in Barcelona, the European Championships will take...
in a time of 1:27:52.8. He had retired early from the sport by the time of the 1974 European Championships.
He used a decompression chamber belonging to the state airline Interflug
Interflug
Interflug was the state airline of East Germany from 1963 to 1991, when it ceased operations following German reunification...
in training for the 1972 Olympics, so as to simulate the effects of altitude training.
He set two World Records
World records in athletics
World records in the sport of athletics are ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations. Athletics records comprise the best performances in the sports of track and field, road running and racewalking....
during his racing career, the first in 1970 (1:25:50), the second in 1972 (1:25:19.4) equalling Hans Reimann
Hans Reimann
Hans-Georg Reimann is an East German athlete, who starts for the SC Dynamo Berlin and the GDR and won two Olympic medals in 20 km racewalking at the Olympic summer games 1972 in Munich he won the third place , and at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montréal he became the second place Hans-Georg...
's record.
He served in the East German Army
National People's Army
The National People’s Army were the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic .The NVA was established in 1956 and disestablished in 1990. There were frequent reports of East German advisors with Communist African countries during the Cold War...
while training, rising to the rank of Major. After finishing his racing career, he became a well-known photographer in East Germany. He was vice-president of the Union of German Olympians (Gemeinschaft Deutscher Olympiateilnehmer, or GDO) from 1991 to 1998. He then became a press officer for OSC Potsdam athletic club.
He raced for the ASK Vorwärts Potsdam club (the army sports club). He was coached by Wilhelm Kustak until 1968, and then by Hans-Joachim Pathus. In his racing years he was 1.82m (6ft 0in) tall, and weighed 76kg (167lbs).