Silke Renk is a retired javelin throw

Javelin throw

The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...

er from Germany

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...

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She represented East Germany at the 1988 Summer Olympics

Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics

At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul a total number of 42 events in athletics were contested: 24 by men and 18 by women. There were a total number of 1617 participating athletes from 149 countries.-Men's events:...

, where she finished fifth, and at the 1990 European Championships

1990 European Championships in Athletics

The 15th European Athletics Championships were held from 26 August to 2 September 1990 in Split, a city in Croatia .It was the last participation of East Germany ....

 where she finished fourth.

She then experienced her career highlight as she won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics

Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics

At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, 43 events in athletics were contested, 24 events by men and 19 by women. The competition ran from July 31, 1992 to August 9, 1992. Fourteen world record-holders were among the contenders...

 in Barcelona, Spain. Renk won with a throw of 68.34 meters, defeating Natalya Shikolenko

Natalya Shikolenko

Natalya Shikolenko is a javelin thrower who represented USSR and later Belarus. She won an Olympic silver medal and a World Championship gold....

, who took home the silver medal, and compatriot Karen Forkel

Karen Forkel

Karen Forkel is a German track and field athlete and an Olympic medal winner. In the 1990s she was among the world's best javelin throwers. Her biggest success came in the 1992 Summer Olympics when she took the bronze medal with a throw of 66.86 meters.Her personal best throw with the...

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The next year she finished sixth 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....

. She withdrew from the 1994 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:...

 because of knee injury problems, and never reached another international final despite starting at the 1995 World Championships

1995 World Championships in Athletics

The 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13.This edition featured 1804 athletes from 191 nations....

 and the 1996 Summer Olympics

Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics

At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, 44 events in athletics were contested, 24 by men and 20 by women. There were a total number of 2053 participating athletes from 191 countries.-Men:...

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Her personal best was 71.00 meres with the old javelin type, achieved in June 1988 in Rostock

Rostock

Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...

. This ranks her third among German javelin throwers, only behind Petra Felke

Petra Felke

Petra Meier, nee Felke is a former German track and field athlete and Olympic champion who represented East Germany....

 (who held the world record

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....

) and Antje Kempe.

Achievements

Representing
1988	Olympic Games	Seoul, South Korea	5th	66.38 m
Representing
1990	European Championships 1990 European Championships in Athletics The 15th European Athletics Championships were held from 26 August to 2 September 1990 in Split, a city in Croatia .It was the last participation of East Germany ....	Split Split (city) Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and... , Yugoslavia	4th	64.76 m
1993	World Championships 1993 World Championships in Athletics - Women's Javelin These are the official results of the Women's Javelin Throw event at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. There were a total number of 31 participating athletes, with the final held on Sunday August 22, 1993. All results were made with a rough surfaced javelin...	Stuttgart, Germany	6th	64.00 m
1996	Olympic Games Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Women's javelin throw These are the official results of the Women's Javelin Throw at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:-Records:-Group A:-Group B:-Final:-See also:*1995 Women's World Championships Javelin Throw...	Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in... , USA	13th	59.70 m