Stephanie Storp
Encyclopedia
Stephanie Storp is a retired female shot put
ter from Germany
. Her best performance was winning the bronze medal at the 1997 World Championships
, with a throw of 19.22 metres. She also won the silver medal at the 1993 World Indoor Championships
, and represented her country in the Summer Olympics of 1992
and 1996
. She ended her athletics career in 1998, having taken up basketball
as a new sport.
. The next year she won the silver medal at the first edition of the World Junior Championships
, again sharing the podium with two East Germans Heike Rohrmann
and Ines Wittich
. The same year she competed at the 1986 European Championships
for seniors, finishing eleventh in the shot put and tenth in the discus throw
. She would not compete on top level in discus throw after this.
One year later, still only nineteen years of age, she competed at her first World Championships
, which was staged in Rome
. She finished tenth with a throw of 19.36 metres. During the indoor season she had finished fifth at the 1987 European Indoor Championships
, and in August, a month before the World Championships, she had thrown a personal best of 19.90 metres in Hamburg
. At her first World Indoor Championships
in 1989 she finished fourth, with 19.63 metres. The same winter she competed at the 1989 European Indoor Championships
, which she won with a throw of 20.30 metres. She finished ahead of East German Heike Hartwig
and West German Iris Plotzitzka
. The result of 20.30 metres would remain her career best throw in an indoor event.
In 1990 she broke the 20-metre barrier on the outdoor field as well, throwing a new personal best of 20.34 metres on 1 July in Wolfsburg
, a result that would remain her career best throw. That season she finished sixth at the 1990 European Indoor Championships
and seventh at the 1990 European Championships
. With a seventh place she actually placed behind five other Germans; three from East Germany (Kumbernuss
, Neimke
, Hartwig) and two from West Germany (Losch
, Plotzitzka). This would be her last competition under the partition of Germany.
In 1991 she finished fourth at the 1991 World Indoor Championships
and sixth at the 1991 World Championships
. She had thrown 19.52 metres during the qualifying round; in the final she threw 19.50 metres. Her best throw this season was 19.80 metres; this was the third best throw in Europe that season, only behind two athletes from the Soviet Union who had 21.12 and 20.36 metres respectively. In 1992 Storp qualified for her first Olympic Games
. She represented the unified Germany together with Kathrin Neimke. In the Olympic competition
, Neimke went on to win the bronze medal, while Storp finished seventh with a best throw of 19.10 metres. This was also her best throw for the season.
The next year she made a breakthrough at the senior level as she won her first major international medal. With a throw of 19.37 metres, she won the silver medal at the 1993 World Indoor Championships
, only behind 1992 Olympic champion Svetlana Krivelyova
. On 23 July in London she threw a season's best of 19.71 metres. She did not manage to repeat this form in the 1993 World Championships final
a month later. Having reached the final with a 19.38 metre throw in the qualification round, she only finished eleventh with a mediocre 18.83 metres. The event was staged in Stuttgart
in her home country, and once again countryfellow Kathrin Neimke won the bronze medal.
In 1994 it was time for another edition of the European Championships
. Storp managed a throw of 19.39 metres, which was enough to secure a fourth place. Both the bronze medalist and the silver medalist, who was her countryfellow Astrid Kumbernuss, threw 19.49 metres. Storp did not compete at the next major event, the 1995 World Indoor Championships
. At the 1995 World Championships
, she once again underperformed in the final round with a throw of 18.81 metres. This time, it was enough for an eighth place, tied with seventh but losing on countback (measuring the second best throw in the competition). Astrid Kumbernuss won the event, with Kathrin Neimke in fourth place.
Storp's season's best was only 18.95, achieved in July in London. 1996 was an Olympic year, and Storp was selected for her second Olympic Games. With 19.06 metres she finished sixth in the Olympic shot put final
, one place ahead of Kathrin Neimke while Kumbernuss again won the event.
In 1997 Storp managed to reach old lengths. Her season's best was 19.89 metres, which was the third best throw in Europe that year. She also had success in the major competitions, albeit not with the same results: she finished fourth at the 1997 World Indoor Championships
despite throwing only 18.80 metres, and at the 1997 World Championships
she won the bronze medal, beating Chinese Huang Zhihong
to third place with a seven centimetre margin. Astrid Kumbernuss won, Vita Pavlysh
took the silver medal.
1998 was Storp's swansong season as an athlete. She managed a 19.12 metres throw in May in Vöhrum, and qualified for the 1998 European Championships
, where she finished ninth with 18.16 metres. By then she had already taken up basketball
, playing for SV Halchtern/Linden in the second highest German league. She attempted a comeback to athletics in 2000, but without success.
In domestic competitions, she represented the sports club VfL Wolfsburg
. She became German champion in 1994, won silver medals at the national championships in the years 1998-1993, 1997 and 1998 and bronze medals in 1986, 1987, 1995 and 1996. She became German indoor champion in 1991, 1993 and 1997.
Stephanie Storp is unusually tall for a woman with 1.94 metres. During her active career she weighed 95 kg.
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
ter 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...
. Her best performance was winning the bronze medal at the 1997 World Championships
1997 World Championships in Athletics
The 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between August 1 and August 10, 1997. In this event participated 1882 athletes from 198 participant nations...
, with a throw of 19.22 metres. She also won the silver medal at the 1993 World Indoor Championships
1993 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 4th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Skydome in Toronto, Canada from March 12 to March 14, 1993. It was the last Indoor Championships to feature the 5,000 and 3,000 metres race walk events. In addition, it was the first Indoor Championships to include heptathlon and...
, and represented her country in the Summer Olympics of 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...
and 1996
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
. She ended her athletics career in 1998, having taken up basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
as a new sport.
Athletics career
As a teenager she won the bronze medal at the 1985 European Junior Championships. Storp represented West Germany, and finished behind two East Germans Bettina Libera and Ilke WyluddaIlke Wyludda
Ilke Wyludda is a former discus thrower from Germany.She set eleven junior records at discus throw and even two at shot put, and became junior world champion. Between 1989 and 1991 she recorded 41 successive wins, only to be beaten by Tsvetanka Khristova at the 1991 World Championships...
. The next year she won the silver medal at the first edition of the World Junior Championships
1986 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 1st World Junior Championships in Athletics was the 1986 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Athens, Greece.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:-External links:* at GBRathletics.com...
, again sharing the podium with two East Germans Heike Rohrmann
Heike Rohrmann
Heike Rohrmann is a retired East German shot putter.She won the gold medal at the 1986 World Junior Championships and a silver medal at the 1988 World Junior Championships. Her personal best throw was 18.94 metres, achieved in May 1988 in Halle. This places her among the best junior athletes of...
and Ines Wittich
Ines Wittich
Ines Wittich is a retired German shot putter.She represented the sports clubs TV Wattenscheid and TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, and won the bronze medal at the German championships in 1998....
. The same year she competed at the 1986 European Championships
1986 European Championships in Athletics
The 14th European Athletics Championships were held from 26 to 31 August 1986 at the Neckarstadion in Stuttgart, a city in West Germany.-Track:1978 | 1982 | 1986 | 1990 | 1994-Field:1978 | 1982 | 1986 | 1990 | 1994-Track:...
for seniors, finishing eleventh in the shot put and tenth 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...
. She would not compete on top level in discus throw after this.
One year later, still only nineteen years of age, she competed at her first World Championships
1987 World Championships in Athletics
The 2nd World Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations were held in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy between August 28 and September 6, 1987.-Track:1983 | 1987 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995...
, which was staged in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. She finished tenth with a throw of 19.36 metres. During the indoor season she had finished fifth at the 1987 European Indoor Championships
1987 European Indoor Championships in Athletics
The 18th European Athletics Indoor Championships were held at Stade Couvert Régional in Liévin, a city in France, in 1987.-Track:-Field:-Medal table:-External links:* at GBRathletics.com* at GBRathletics.com*...
, and in August, a month before the World Championships, she had thrown a personal best of 19.90 metres in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. At her first World Indoor Championships
1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 2nd IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Budapest Sportcsarnok in Budapest, Hungary from March 3 to March 5, 1989. There were a total number of 373 participating athletes from 62 countries.-Men:1985 | 1987 | 1989 | 1991 | 1993...
in 1989 she finished fourth, with 19.63 metres. The same winter she competed at the 1989 European Indoor Championships
1989 European Indoor Championships in Athletics
The 20th European Athletics Indoor Championships were held in The Hague, Netherlands, in 1989.-Track:-Field:-Medal table:-External links:* at GBRathletics.com* at GBRathletics.com*...
, which she won with a throw of 20.30 metres. She finished ahead of East German Heike Hartwig
Heike Hartwig
Heike Hartwig is a retired East German shot putter.She represented the sports club SC Dynamo Berlin, and became East German championships in 1987, 1989 and 1990....
and West German Iris Plotzitzka
Iris Plotzitzka
Iris Plotzitzka is a retired West German shot putter.She represented the sports clubs LAC Quelle Fürth and LC Olympiapark München, and won the silver medal at the West German championships in 1986. Her personal best throw was 20.53 metres, achieved in August 1988 in Köln.-Achievements:-References:...
. The result of 20.30 metres would remain her career best throw in an indoor event.
In 1990 she broke the 20-metre barrier on the outdoor field as well, throwing a new personal best of 20.34 metres on 1 July in Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located on the River Aller northeast of Braunschweig , and is mainly notable as the headquarters of Volkswagen AG...
, a result that would remain her career best throw. That season she finished sixth at the 1990 European Indoor Championships
1990 European Indoor Championships in Athletics
The 21st European Athletics Indoor Championships were held in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1990.-Track:-Field:-Medal table:-External links:* at GBRathletics.com* at GBRathletics.com*...
and seventh at the 1990 European Championships
1990 European Championships in Athletics - Women's Shot Put
These are the official results of the Women's shot put event at the 1990 European Championships in Split, Yugoslavia. There were a total number of thirteen participating athletes, and no qualifying heats.-Final:-See also:...
. With a seventh place she actually placed behind five other Germans; three from East Germany (Kumbernuss
Astrid Kumbernuss
Astrid Kumbernuss is a former German female shot putter and discus thrower.Her career started at the SC Neubrandenburg sports club. Her greatest successes were gold medals at the 1995, 1997 and 1999 World Championships in Athletics, and the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta...
, Neimke
Kathrin Neimke
Kathrin Neimke , is a German track and field athlete. During the 1980s and 1990s she was one of the world's best in the shot put. Until 1990 she represented East Germany...
, Hartwig) and two from West Germany (Losch
Claudia Losch
Claudia Losch is a German track and field athlete.Losch won the German indoor championship in the shot put in 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, and 1989...
, Plotzitzka). This would be her last competition under the partition of Germany.
In 1991 she finished fourth at the 1991 World Indoor Championships
1991 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 3rd IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Palacio Municipal de Deportes San Pablo in Seville, Spain from March 8 to March 10, 1991. It was the first Indoor Championships to include women's triple jump, albeit as a non-championship event...
and sixth at the 1991 World Championships
1991 World Championships in Athletics - Women's Shot Put
These are the official results of the Women's Shot Put event at the 1991 IAAF World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. There were a total number of 24 participating athletes, with two qualifying groups and the final held on Saturday August 24, 1991...
. She had thrown 19.52 metres during the qualifying round; in the final she threw 19.50 metres. Her best throw this season was 19.80 metres; this was the third best throw in Europe that season, only behind two athletes from the Soviet Union who had 21.12 and 20.36 metres respectively. In 1992 Storp qualified for her first Olympic Games
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...
. She represented the unified Germany together with Kathrin Neimke. In the Olympic competition
Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics - Women's shot put
These are the official results of the Women's Shot Put event at the 1992 Summer Olympics, held on August 5, 1992 at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain. There were a total number of 18 participating athletes...
, Neimke went on to win the bronze medal, while Storp finished seventh with a best throw of 19.10 metres. This was also her best throw for the season.
The next year she made a breakthrough at the senior level as she won her first major international medal. With a throw of 19.37 metres, she won the silver medal at the 1993 World Indoor Championships
1993 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 4th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Skydome in Toronto, Canada from March 12 to March 14, 1993. It was the last Indoor Championships to feature the 5,000 and 3,000 metres race walk events. In addition, it was the first Indoor Championships to include heptathlon and...
, only behind 1992 Olympic champion Svetlana Krivelyova
Svetlana Krivelyova
Svetlana Vladimirovna Krivelyova is an athlete who specialises in the shot put....
. On 23 July in London she threw a season's best of 19.71 metres. She did not manage to repeat this form in the 1993 World Championships final
1993 World Championships in Athletics - Women's Shot Put
These are the official results of the Women's Shot Put event at the 1993 IAAF World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. There were a total of 27 participating athletes, with the final held on Sunday August 15, 1993...
a month later. Having reached the final with a 19.38 metre throw in the qualification round, she only finished eleventh with a mediocre 18.83 metres. The event was staged in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
in her home country, and once again countryfellow Kathrin Neimke won the bronze medal.
In 1994 it was time for another edition of 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:...
. Storp managed a throw of 19.39 metres, which was enough to secure a fourth place. Both the bronze medalist and the silver medalist, who was her countryfellow Astrid Kumbernuss, threw 19.49 metres. Storp did not compete at the next major event, the 1995 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:...
. At the 1995 World Championships
1995 World Championships in Athletics - Women's Shot Put
These are the official results of the Women's Shot Put event at the 1995 IAAF World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden. There were a total number of 26 participating athletes, with the final held on Saturday August 5, 1995.-Medalists:-Schedule:...
, she once again underperformed in the final round with a throw of 18.81 metres. This time, it was enough for an eighth place, tied with seventh but losing on countback (measuring the second best throw in the competition). Astrid Kumbernuss won the event, with Kathrin Neimke in fourth place.
Storp's season's best was only 18.95, achieved in July in London. 1996 was an Olympic year, and Storp was selected for her second Olympic Games. With 19.06 metres she finished sixth in the Olympic shot put final
Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Women's shot put
These are the official results of the Women's Shot Put event at the 1996 Summer Olympics, held on July 31, 1996 at the Turner Field in Atlanta, Georgia. There were a total number of 27 competitors, with two non-starters...
, one place ahead of Kathrin Neimke while Kumbernuss again won the event.
In 1997 Storp managed to reach old lengths. Her season's best was 19.89 metres, which was the third best throw in Europe that year. She also had success in the major competitions, albeit not with the same results: she finished fourth at the 1997 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...
despite throwing only 18.80 metres, and at the 1997 World Championships
1997 World Championships in Athletics - Women's Shot Put
These are the official results of the Women's Shot Put event at the 1997 IAAF World Championships in Athens, Greece. There were a total number of 25 participating athletes, with the final held on Thursday August 7, 1997...
she won the bronze medal, beating Chinese Huang Zhihong
Huang Zhihong
Huang Zhihong is a former shot put athlete from China. An Olympic silver medallist and a double world champion, she was in fact the first Asian to win a world championship in athletics. Her personal best throw is 21.52, achieved in Beijing 1990....
to third place with a seven centimetre margin. Astrid Kumbernuss won, Vita Pavlysh
Vita Pavlysh
Vita Pavlysh is a former athlete who specialised in the shot put....
took the silver medal.
1998 was Storp's swansong season as an athlete. She managed a 19.12 metres throw in May in Vöhrum, and qualified for the 1998 European Championships
1998 European Championships in Athletics - Women's shot put
The final of the Women's Shot Put event at the 1998 European Championships in Budapest, Hungary was held on Thursday August 20, 1998. The top twelve and ties, and all those reaching 18.00 metres advanced to the final...
, where she finished ninth with 18.16 metres. By then she had already taken up basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, playing for SV Halchtern/Linden in the second highest German league. She attempted a comeback to athletics in 2000, but without success.
In domestic competitions, she represented the sports club VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
. She became German champion in 1994, won silver medals at the national championships in the years 1998-1993, 1997 and 1998 and bronze medals in 1986, 1987, 1995 and 1996. She became German indoor champion in 1991, 1993 and 1997.
Stephanie Storp is unusually tall for a woman with 1.94 metres. During her active career she weighed 95 kg.