Team Germany - Profile

Highlights: Germany competed at the first edition of the modern Olympic Games, which took place in Athens in 1896. At the end of World War II and following the division of Germany, athletes from both sides of the split continued to compete together under the United Team of Germany banner [at the Games in 1956, 1960 and 1964]. In 1968 the team split into NOCs representing the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic, participating separately at the Games until 1992.

Sprint paddler Birgit Fischer won five gold medals and three silver medals for Germany between 1992 and 2004, and claimed a further three gold medals and one silver medal while representing the German Democratic Republic between 1980 and 1988. Her total of 12 medals make her the most successful athlete in canoe sprint from any nation at the Olympic Games. Katrin Wagner-Augustin is another highly decorated sprint paddler from Germany, winning four gold medals, one silver and one bronze between 2000 and 2012, while Andreas Dittmer [1996 - 2004] is the German male athlete with most medals in the sport [three gold, one silver, one bronze].

Athletes from Germany also have a fine history in equestrian. Dressage rider Isabell Werth won six gold and four silver between Barcelona 1992 and Rio 2016, and has more medals than any other rider in the history of the sport at the Olympic Games. Eventer Michael Jung secured individual gold at the Games in 2012 and 2016. He was also part of the German eventing team in both London and Rio de Janeiro that claimed gold and silver, respectively.

Much of Germany's early success at the Olympic Games came in gymnastics. Hermann Weingartner won three gold medals, two silver medals, and one bronze medal in 1896 in Athens, and remains one of Germany's most decorated gymnasts. Carl Schumann claimed three further gold medals in gymnastics at the 1896 Games, and another in wrestling. He also competed in athletics in Athens but did not finish on the podium. German gymnasts performed admirably at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, where Germany topped the medal table for the only time in its history. Konrad Frey won gold in the men's team event, pommel horse, and parallel bars, while Alfred Schwarzmann claimed the individual all-around title as well as gold in the team event and vault.

The German men's hockey team won three Olympic gold medals between 1992 and 2012, which included back-to-back victories in Beijing and London, while the German women's team were champions at the 2004 Games in Athens. They were also beaten finalists in 1992 and bronze medallists at Rio 2016. The German men and women's football teams both reached their respective finals at the 2016 Games. The women defeated Sweden 2-1 to claim Germany's first Olympic gold medal in football but the men lost to hosts Brazil on penalties and had to settle for silver.

Additional Information: Website
https://www.dosb.de

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sportdeutschland

Anthem Title: Deutschlandlied [Song of Germany]

Anthem Composer: Words by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben, music by Joseph Haydn.

Anthem Inducted: 1991

Official NOC Name: Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund

Founding Date: 1895

IOC Recognition Date: 1895

Delegation President: Alfons Hormann

Delegation Secretary General: Veronika Rucker

IOC Members: Thomas Bach [entry in the IOC: 1991], Britta Heidemann [entry in the IOC: 2016]

First OG/PG Appearance: 1896

Number OG/PG Appearances: 17 [Tokyo 2020 included]

Summary: