 Schersing in 1988 | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Women'sathletics | ||
Representing East Germany | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
 | 1988 Seoul | 400 m |
 | 1988 Seoul | 4 × 400 m relay |
| World Championships | ||
 | 1987 Rome | 4 × 400 m relay |
| 1987 Rome | 400 m |
Petra Schersing (néeMüller, born 18 July 1965 inQuedlinburg) is a retiredEast German sprinter who specialised in the400 metres. She represented sports clubSC Chemie Halle and was coached by Harold Werner. At the1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, she won a silver medal in the 400 metres and a bronze medal in the 4×400 metres relay.
As Petra Muller, she first achieved international recognition, when she became the1983 European Junior Champion at 400 metres. She also won a gold medal in the 4 × 400 m relay.
In 1986, at theEuropean Indoor Championships, she won a silver medal behind teammateSabine Busch. Later that year at theEuropean Championships in Stuttgart, she won a bronze medal in the individual 400 metres and a gold medal in the relay, with teammatesKirsten Emmelmann, Sabine Busch andMarita Koch.
At the1987 World Indoor Championships in Indianapolis, she surprisingly failed to reach the final. At the1987 World Championships in Rome she won a silver medal in the 400 m behindOlga Bryzgina as well as another relay gold medal alongsideDagmar Neubauer, Emmelmann and Busch.
Muller won her biggest individual title in 1988, when she became theEuropean Indoor Champion in 50.28 secs, which at the time ranked her fourth on the indoor all-time list. At the1988 Olympics she won thesilver medal in the 400 m, betweenSovietsOlga Bryzgina (gold) andOlga Nazarova (bronze). She also won the bronze medal in the 4 × 400 m relay, with teammates Neubauer, Emmelmann and Busch.
In 1990, now competing as Petra Schersing, she won a silver medal at theEuropean Championships in Split, finishing behind her teenage teammateGrit Breuer and won a gold medal in the relay, with new teammatesManuela Derr,Annett Hesselbarth and Breuer.
Schersing's personal best time in the 400 metres is 49.30 seconds, achieved in June 1988 inJena, which at that time placed her tenth on the all-time list. She won the East German National 400 m title three times (1986–1988) and twice won the East German indoor 400 m title (1986, 1988).
As of 2013, Schersing's Outdoor best (49.30) is 21st on the World all-time list and third on the German all-time list, only behindMarita Koch andSabine Busch.,[1] while her indoor best (50.28) is tenth on the World indoor all-time list and second on the German indoor all-time list, behind Sabine Busch.
In October 1988, she married fellow Olympic sprinterMathias Schersing.[2]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing East Germany | |||||
| 1983 | European Junior Championships | Schwechat, Austria | 1st | 400 m | 51.79 secs |
| 1st | 4 × 400 m | 3:30.44 | |||
| 1986 | European Indoor Championships | Madrid, Spain | 2nd | 400 m | 51.59 |
| 1986 | European Championships | Stuttgart, West Germany | 3rd | 400 m | 49.88 |
| 1st | 4 × 400 m | 3:16.87 | |||
| 1987 | World Indoor Championships | Indianapolis, United States | semifinal | 400 m | 52.92 |
| 1987 | World Championships | Rome, Italy | 2nd | 400 m | 49.94 |
| 1st | 4 × 400 m | 3:18.63 | |||
| 1988 | European Indoor Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 1st | 400 m | 50.28 |
| 1988 | Olympic Games | Seoul, South Korea | 2nd | 400 m | 49.42 |
| 3rd | 4 × 400 m | 3:18.29 | |||
| 1990 | European Championships | Split, Yugoslavia | 2nd | 400 m | 50.51 |
| 1st | 4 × 400 m | 3:21.02 | |||
