Gerhard Windolf

Gerhard Windolf (13 January 1924 – 3 November 2018) was a German Masters track and field athlete.[1] He was the 1995 Masters World Champion in the decathlon, beating future world record holder Pekka Penttila. Four years later he returned to get a bronze medal behind Penttila.[2] As a combined event athlete, he also has produced medal winning results in a range of other events, primarily jumping events. He won the world championship in the high jump in 1995, 2005, 2009, and 2015, while getting bronze in 1991 and 1999.[3] He won the long jump in 2009[4] and 2015, with a bronze in 1999.[5] He also picked up a silver in the triple jump [6] and shot put in 2009,[7] with bronze medals in 2005 and 2015.[8]

Windolf was involved in Masters athletics since at least 1980, when he won a bronze medal in the high jump at the European Championships at the age of 56.[9] With results across seven age groups, he is ranked the #6 long jumper in European history. Based on the age graded scale he has averaged a comparative 7.33 m (24 ft 1⁄2 in) throughout his career. On a similar average, he is ranked #5 in the high jump, averaging 2.08 m (6 ft 9 3⁄4 in) across 8 age divisions.[10] As of 2006, he was tied for the European record in the M80 pole vault,[11] set while winning the European Veterans Athletics Championships in Aarhus, Denmark.[12]

He began participating in athletics and gymnastics at the age of 10.[13] During World War II he was wounded, with extensive shrapnel to his lower jaw. But the injury, taking him out of the war, perhaps saved his athletic future.[14] Into his 90s, he trained three days a week. He returned to the Championships because "There are great friendships. And it is always a pleasure to meet again."[13] Windolf died in November 2018 at the age of 94.[15]

References
  1. "Terhi Kokkonen". Mastersathletics.net. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  2. "World Masters Decathlon & Heptathlon". Wellingtonmastersathletics.org.nz. 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  3. "World Masters High Jump". Wellingtonmastersathletics.org.nz. 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  4. "World Masters Athletics Championships Stadia" (TXT). Live.time4results.com. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  5. "World Masters Long Jump". Wellingtonmastersathletics.org.nz. 2015-10-16. Archived from the original on 2016-01-22. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  6. "World Masters Triple Jump". Wellingtonmastersathletics.org.nz. 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  7. "WM 2007". Masters-sport.de. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  8. "World Masters Shot Put". Wellingtonmastersathletics.org.nz. 2015-10-16. Archived from the original on 2016-01-22. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  9. "The World Association of Veteran Athletes" (PDF). Mastershistory.org. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  10. "European All Time Rankings : Top 10 Men" (PDF). Evaa.ch. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  11. "Mall". Veteran.friidrott.se. 2006-05-25. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  12. "Sport". Blv-archiv.de. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  13. "Leichtathlet Gerhard Windolf (91) holt drei Medaillen bei WM - harburg-aktuell.de Ihre regionale Internetzeitung aus Harburg". Harburg-aktuell.de. Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  14. "Senior-Spitzensportler Gerhard Windolf aus Hamburg - RTL Nord". Rtlnord.de. 2016-02-18. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  15. TRAUER UM GERHARD WINDOLF
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