 | You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in German. (May 2022)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
 Schult in 1988 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1960-05-11)11 May 1960 (age 65)[1] |
| Height | 193 cm (6 ft 4 in)[1] |
| Weight | 110 kg (243 lb)[1] |
| Sport | |
| Country |
|
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | Discus throw |
| Club | Schweriner SC SC Riesa |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personalbest | 74.08 m (1986) |
| Updated on 16 June 2015 | |
Jürgen Schult (German pronunciation:[ˈjʏʁɡn̩ˈʃʊlt]ⓘ; born 11 May 1960) is a German formertrack and fieldathlete and, from 1986 until 2024, theworld record holder in thediscus throw. Schult representedEast Germany in the1988 Olympic discus competition, where he won thegold medal.
Born inAmt Neuhaus, now inLower Saxony, Schult was unable to compete in the1984 Summer Olympics inLos Angeles due to his country's boycott of the games.
He set aworld record in the discus in 1986. As an athlete under the East German program, his throw of 74.08 meters (243.0 ft) bested the previous record of Soviet athlete,Yuriy Dumchev, of 71.86 meters (235.8 ft). This discus world record was one of the longest-standing men's world records ever (having surpassed the length ofJesse Owens' long jump record, which stood for 25 years and 79 days)[2] but eventually fell 37 years and 9 months later toMykolas Alekna throwing 74.35 meters (243.9 ft).
In 1988, at the first ever track and field competition between East and West Germany, Schult refused to shake hands with his former teammate,Wolfgang Schmidt, after beating him; Schmidt had very shortly before moved from East to West Germany.
Later in his long sports career, Schult joined the reunified German team. He competed in a second Olympic Games in1992, getting asilver medal, and the1999 World Championships, again getting second place. He competed in his finalOlympics in 2000 at the age of 40, finishing in eighth place.
Schult has a degree in sport, and in 2002 became the trainer of the German track and field association's men's discus team.
Schult represented the Traktor Schwerin sports club and trained with Dr. Hermann Brandt, later he represented the Schwerin and Riesa sports clubs and trained with Thomas Schult. While he was actively competing, he was 1.93 meters tall and weighed 110 kilograms.
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing East Germany | ||||
| 1979 | European Junior Championships | Bydgoszcz,Poland | 1st | 56.18 m[a] |
| 1983 | World Championships | Helsinki,Finland | 5th | 64.92 m |
| 1986 | European Championships | Stuttgart,West Germany | 7th | 64.38 m |
| 1987 | World Championships | Rome,Italy | 1st | 68.74 m |
| 1988 | Olympic Games | Seoul,South Korea | 1st | 68.82 m |
| 1990 | European Championships | Split,Yugoslavia | 1st | 64.58 m |
Representing Germany | ||||
| 1991 | World Championships | Tokyo,Japan | 6th | 63.12 m |
| 1992 | Olympic Games | Barcelona,Spain | 2nd | 64.94 m |
| 1993 | World Championships | Stuttgart,Germany | 3rd | 66.12 m |
| 1994 | European Championships | Helsinki,Finland | 3rd | 64.18 m |
| 1995 | World Championships | Gothenburg,Sweden | 5th | 64.44 m |
| 1996 | Olympic Games | Atlanta,United States | 6th | 64.62 m |
| 1997 | World Championships | Athens,Greece | 3rd | 66.14 m |
| 1998 | European Championships | Budapest,Hungary | 2nd | 66.69 m |
| 1999 | World Championships | Seville,Spain | 2nd | 68.18 m |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney,Australia | 8th | 64.41 m |
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Men's Discus World Record Holder 6 June 1986 – 14 April 2024 | Succeeded by |
|
|
European Athletics Championships champions in men'sdiscus throw | |
|---|---|
|
