Detlef Wagenknecht

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Detlef Wagenknecht
Erfurt: Leichtathletik-Sportfest-1984
Personal information
Born (1959-01-03) 3 January 1959 (age 65)
East Berlin, East Germany (now Berlin, Germany)[1]
Height193 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight74 kg (163 lb)
Sport
Country East Germany
SportAthletics
Event800 metres
Coached byJürgen Haase
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)600 m: 1:15.68 (1983)
800 m: 1:44.81 (1981)
1000 m: 2:16.7a (1982)
Medal record
European Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 1977 Donetsk 4 × 400 m relay
Silver medal – second place 1977 Donetsk 800 m

Detlef Wagenknecht (born 3 January 1959) is a German former middle-distance runner. Representing East Germany, he was a finalist in men's 800 metres at the 1980 Summer Olympics and the 1982 European Championships and placed third at the 1981 IAAF World Cup.

Career[edit]

At the 1977 European Junior Championships in Donetsk, Wagenknecht won gold in the 4 × 400 m relay (as part of the East German team) and silver in the individual 800 m (behind his teammate Andreas Busse).[2][3] In 1978 Wagenknecht became East German champion for the first time, running a personal best 1:45.84 at the national championships to defeat Jürgen Straub and Olaf Beyer;[4][5][6] at the European Championships in Prague later that summer he was eliminated in the semi-finals as Beyer won gold.[2]

Wagenknecht lost to Beyer in the 1979 East German championships, but regained his title in 1980.[4] At the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow he won his heat and placed a close second to Sebastian Coe in his semi-final; in the final he placed sixth, the second-best East German after Busse.[7]

At the 1981 East German championships in Jena, Wagenknecht again lost to Beyer, but placed second in a personal best 1:44.81.[2][4][8] He represented East Germany at the 1981 IAAF World Cup in Rome, placing third behind Coe and James Robinson; Track & Field News ranked Wagenknecht a career-best fifth in the world in its 1981 rankings, the second time (after 1978) that he'd been ranked in the top ten.[9][10]

In 1982, Wagenknecht won his third national title, ahead of Beyer; at the European Championships in Athens he placed sixth.[2][4] He was ranked seventh in the world by Track & Field News, his third and final top ten appearance.[10] In 1983 he was national champion both indoors and outdoors, but was eliminated in the semi-finals at the inaugural Athletics World Championships in Helsinki; he stayed with the leading group until the end, but was outkicked.[4][11][12]

Wagenknecht won his final East German titles in 1984, repeating as indoor and outdoor champion.[4][11] At the 1985 IAAF World Cup in Canberra he placed fourth.[9]

Nationally, Wagenknecht represented Sports Club Dynamo Berlin. He was coached by former long-distance runner Jürgen Haase.[1][13]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Detlef Wagenknecht Bio, Stats and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d Detlef Wagenknecht at Tilastopaja (registration required)
  3. ^ "European Junior Championships (Men)". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Leichtathletik - DDR - Meisterschaften (800m - Herren)" (in German). sport-komplett.de. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  5. ^ "East German Championships". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  6. ^ "Detlef Wagenknecht". Track and Field Statistics. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  7. ^ Siukonen, Markku; et al. (1980). Urheilutieto 5 (in Finnish). Oy Scandia Kirjat Ab. pp. 361, 371. ISBN 951-9466-20-7.
  8. ^ Larsson, Peter. "All-time men's best 800 m". Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  9. ^ a b Butler, Mark, ed. (2010). "IAAF Statistics Handbook Split 2010" (PDF). International Association of Athletics Federations. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  10. ^ a b "World Rankings — Men's 800" (PDF). Track & Field News. Retrieved 10 June 2015.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ a b "East German Indoor Championships". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  12. ^ Pekola, Tapio; et al. (1983). Yleisurheilun MM-kisakirja Helsinki '83 (in Finnish). Juoksija. ISBN 951-9465-05-7.
  13. ^ "Jürgen Haase Bio, Stats and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
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