Rüdiger Stenzel 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...

 middle distance

Middle distance track event

Middle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...

 runner who participated in several international championships in the 1990s.

He came second in the 1992 German championships behind Jens-Peter Herold

Jens-Peter Herold

Jens-Peter Herold is a retired German middle distance runner who participated in several international championships in the late 1980s and early 1990s.In the 1987 World Championships he came sixth over 1500 metres...

 thus qualifying for the Olympic 1500 metres

1500 metres

The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...

 competition where he went out before the final. He then got his first international finish with a tenth place at the 1993 World Championships

1993 World Championships in Athletics

The 4th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium, Stuttgart, Germany between August 13 and August 22 with the participation of 187 nations....

. In a race in 1994 he defeated the Olympic champion Fermín Cacho

Fermín Cacho

Fermín Cacho Ruiz is a Spanish athlete, winner of the 1500 metres at the 1992 Summer Olympics.Born in Ágreda, Spain, Cacho had an enviable competitive record in the 1500 m, but it wasn't until late in his career that he produced a time of corresponding quality.Cacho's first notable result came in...

 but finished seventh in the European Championships

1994 European Championships in Athletics

The 16th European Athletics Championships were held from 7 August to 14 August 1994 in the Olympic Stadium of Helsinki, Finland.-Track:1986 |1990 |1994 |1998 |2002 |-Field:1986 |1990 |1994 |1998 |2002 |-Track:1986 |1990 |1994 |1998 |2002 |-Field:...

 in Helsinki where Cacho won gold. Later that year, however, Stenzel won the silver medal at the IAAF World Cup

1994 IAAF World Cup

The 7th IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event sponsored by the International Association of Athletics Federations, held on September 9–11, 1994, at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London, England.-Men:...

 behind Noureddine Morceli

Noureddine Morceli

Noureddine Morceli is a retired Algerian athlete, winner of the 1500 m run at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Born in Ténès, Noureddine Morceli rose to athletic prominence after winning the silver medal in the 1500 m at the World Junior Championships in 1988...

.

Stenzel finished tenth at the 1995 IAAF World Indoor Championships

1995 IAAF World Indoor Championships

The 5th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain from 10 March to 12 March 1995. There were a total number of 602 participating athletes from 130 countries.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:...

 and won a silver medal over 1500 m at the 1997 IAAF World Indoor Championships

1997 IAAF World Indoor Championships

The 6th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris, France from March 7 to March 9, 1997. It was the first athletic championships to introduce women's pole vault...

. One of his last appearances was at 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....

 in Seville

Seville

Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...

 where he went out in the semi-finals.

Stenzel won several German titles and set a personal best of 3:33.60 minutes in 1997 in Köln

KOLN

KOLN, digital channel 10, is the CBS affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. It operates a satellite station, KGIN, on digital channel 11 in Grand Island. KGIN repeats all KOLN programming, but airs separate commercials...

. This result places him fifth on the German all-time performers list, behind Thomas Wessinghage

Thomas Wessinghage

Thomas Wessinghage was a German middle- and long-distance runner who won the 1982 European Championships' final over 5000 metres beating the British world-record holder David Moorcroft. Because he was already thirty at the time, and had been an international-level runner for a decade, this victory...

, Harald Hudak

Harald Hudak

Harald Hudak is a retired German middle distance runner who specialized in 1500 metres.He was one of the runners that set a world record of 14:38.8 minutes in the 4x1500 metres relay in 1977, together with Thomas Wessinghage, Michael Lederer, and Karl Fleschen...

, Jens-Peter Herold

Jens-Peter Herold

Jens-Peter Herold is a retired German middle distance runner who participated in several international championships in the late 1980s and early 1990s.In the 1987 World Championships he came sixth over 1500 metres...

 and Dieter Baumann

Dieter Baumann

Dieter Baumann is a former German athlete and winner of 5000 m at the 1992 Summer Olympics.Born in Blaustein, Germany , Dieter Baumann was one of the few non-African athletes who were able to seriously challenge the African dominance of middle-distance running during the 1990s...

. He competed for the sports club TV Wattenscheid during his active career.