Wolfgang Nordwig

Medal record
Men’s athletics
Competitor for  East Germany
Olympic Games
Gold	1972 Munich	Pole vault
Bronze	1968 Mexico City	Pole vault
European Championships
Gold	1966 Budapest	Pole vault
Gold	1969 Athens	Pole vault
Gold	1971 Helsinki	Pole vault
Universiade
Gold	1970 Torino	Pole vault

Wolfgang Nordwig (born 27 August 1943) is a former East German pole vaulter who won gold at the 1972 Summer Olympics with a clearance of 5.50 m (18'½"). He was born in Chemnitz, Saxony.

Athletic career [edit]

Nordwig won a bronze in the pole vault at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. He was a member of the East German team, the first time East and West Germany had sent separate teams to the Olympics. In the contest, Nordwig, the American Bob Seagren and the West-German Claus Schiprowski all cleared at 5.40 m, Seagren and Schiprowski on their second attempts and Nordwig on his third. All missed at 5.45 m. Seagren was the gold medal winner because he had had fewer misses at lower heights than Schiprowski.^[1]

Nordwig was Olympic champion at the pole vault at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Nordwig's keenest rivals for the title the Americans Bob Seagren, Steve Smith and Jan Johnson and the Swede Kjell Isaksson were amongst those vaulters banned by the world governing body the IAAF from competing with the lighter poles they had been using all season. An initial ban in July had been reversed on August 27 , but on the eve of the competition, August 30, the IAAF reimposed their ban claiming the poles were new equipment and therefore invalid. Seagren, the defending champion, finished second; Johnson third; and Smith and Isaksson did not even qualify for the final.^[2][3] Nordwig had never preferred the new pole so was unaffected.^[4]

In the competition itself, Johnson was eliminated at 5.40 m with Nordwig clearing on his second attempt and Seagren on his third. Nordwig then cleared 5.45 m with Seagren unable to match him. Nordwig then underlined his triumph by clearing 5.50 m for a new Olympic record and his personal best.^[3]

He was also European champion three times: in 1966, 1969 and 1971. In addition, he was twice European indoor champion in 1971 and 1972.

Nordwig twice broke the pole vault world record.^[5] The first occasion was on the 17 June 1970 in Berlin, Germany when he achieved a height of 5.45 m (17 ft 10.6 in). The second was on the 3rd September 1970 in Turin, Italy when he broke his own world record with a height of 5.46 m (17 ft 11.0 in).

World Rankings [edit]

Nordwig was voted by the experts at Track and Field News to be ranked among the best in the world (the best in 1970 and 1971) in the pole vault in the period from 1965 to 1972.^[6]

Biography [edit]

Nordwig studied for a diploma in physics and a doctorate in economics. He worked for VEB Carl Zeiss Jena eventually becoming a director of research and development. Later, he was managing director of a travel company in Berlin.^[7]

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• Sports Reference

See also [edit]

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2gLtXIzc_U Nordwig at 1970 Universiade
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6pRZCvAPlc The Highest - Arthur Penn
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbALQiLLbEU 1972 - Wolfgang Nordwig vs Bob Seagren - Pole Vault - München Olympics
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89_rCjwGiDQ 1968 - Bob Seagren vs Wolfgang Nordwig - Pole Vault - Mexico City

Records
Preceded by John Pennel	Men's Pole Vault World Record Holder 17 June 1970 – 24 October 1970	Succeeded by Christos Papanikolaou
Awards
Preceded by Roland Matthes	East German Sportsman of the Year 1972	Succeeded by Roland Matthes