Ute Geweniger

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Ute Geweniger
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1982-0529-009, Ute Geweniger.jpg
Ute Geweniger in 1982
Personal information
Nationality  East Germany
Born (1964-02-24) 24 February 1964 (age 60)
Karl-Marx-Stadt, Sachsen, East Germany now Germany
Height Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value).
Weight 62 kg (137 lb)
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Breaststroke
Club SC Karl-Marx-Stadt

Ute Geweniger (born 24 February 1964 in Karl-Marx-Stadt, East Germany) was a breaststroke and medley swimmer of the 1980s who was a leading member of the East German swimming team. She won two Olympic gold medals, in the 100 m breaststroke and 4×100 m medley relay at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, and set seven individual and two relay world records. She was named by Swimming World Magazine as World Swimmer of the Year in 1983 and as the European Swimmer of the Year in 1981 and 1983. In 2005, she admitted that her performance had been supported by doping.[1]

Geweniger came to prominence when she set a world record in the 100 m breaststroke in qualifying for the East German team for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. There she captured gold, setting another world record in the process. She then combined with Rica Reinisch, Andrea Pollack and Caren Metschuck to claim gold in the medley relay, also in world record time. In 1981, she broke the 100 m breaststroke world record thrice, and the 200 m individual medley world record, prior to the European Championships in Split, Yugoslavia (now Croatia). There she claimed gold in the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke (breaking a world record in the former), 200 m individual medley, medley relay, as well as a silver in the 400 m individual medley behind team-mate Petra Schneider. At the World Championships the following year in Guayaquil, Ecuador, she won gold in both the 100 m breaststroke and the medley relay, combining with Ines Geißler, Birgit Meineke and Kristin Otto to again lower the world record. At the 1983 European Championships in Rome, Italy, she again won the breaststroke double, the 200 m individual medley and the 4×100 m medley relay, setting a world record in the 100 m breaststroke. Geweniger was tipped for further Olympic success, but her career was ended when the Soviet bloc, including East Germany, staged a retaliatory boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles.

References

  1. Former Swimmer Wants Record Abolished Bay News 9/Associated Press, 22 December 2005
Records
Preceded by Women's 200 metre individual medley
world record holder (long course)

4 July 1981 – 30 July 1992
Succeeded by
China Lin Li
Awards
Preceded by European Swimmer of the Year
1981
Succeeded by
East Germany Cornelia Sirch
Preceded by East German Sportswoman of the Year
1981
Succeeded by
East Germany Marita Koch
Preceded by World Swimmer of the Year
1983
Succeeded by
East Germany Kristin Otto
Preceded by European Swimmer of the Year
1983
Succeeded by
East Germany Kristin Otto