Dieter Baumann
Baumann in 2006
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9 February 1965 (age 52) Blaustein, West Germany |
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Medal record
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Dieter Baumann (born 9 February 1965) is a former German athlete and winner of 5000 m at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Born in Blaustein, Germany (then West Germany), Dieter Baumann was one of the few non-African athletes who were able to seriously challenge the African dominance of middle-distance running during the 1990s. Baumann was equally adept at both the 1,500 m and 5,000 m distances.
Although Baumann came second in the 3,000 m at the European Indoor Championships in 1987, few considered him a medal chance at the 1988 Summer Olympics. The 5,000 m final at Seoul was won by John Ngugi from Kenya who broke away from the field early in the race. However, Baumann used his superior 1,500 m speed to outsprint the rest of the field in the final lap to win the silver medal. Baumann missed most of the 1990 season due to tendon trouble, but he returned in 1991 to finish fourth in the 5,000 m at the World Championships in Tokyo. At the end of the season, Baumann unexpectedly beat the Kenyan 5,000 m world champion Yobes Ondieki over 3,000 m in Cologne.
In early 1992 Baumann narrowly missed the 3,000 m world indoor record. In June, at a meeting in Seville he set a new German record over 5,000 m (13:09.03). At the Olympics in Barcelona, the 5000 m final started at a fast pace, but then slowed, increasing Baumann's advantage due to his finishing kick. However, he got boxed in amongst four African runners in the back straight of the last lap, and was only able to get out into the clear coming into the home straight. From there, Baumann launched into a devastating sprint to pass his opponents and win the gold medal. Later that year, Baumann pre-announced a world record attempt over 3,000 m for the meeting in Cologne. However, he did not win the race as Moses Kiptanui snatched the victory away by setting a new world record.
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