Margitta Gummel

Margitta Gummel

Margitta Gummel in 1971
Personal information
Birth name	Margitta Helmbold
Nationality	East Germany
Born	29 June 1941 (1941-06-29) (age 75) Magdeburg, Germany
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	90 kg (200 lb)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Shot put
Club	SC DHfK, Leipzig
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	20.22 m (1972)
Medal record Representing  East Germany Olympic Games 1968 Mexico City Shot put 1972 Munich Shot put European Championships 1966 Budapest Shot put 1969 Athens Shot put 1971 Helsenki Shot put European Indoor Championships 1966 Dortmund Shot put 1968 Madrid Shot put 1971 Sofia Shot put

Margitta Gummel (née Helmbold on 29 June 1941) is a German former Olympic gold medalist. She competed for the Unified German team in the 1964 Summer Olympics, East Germany in the 1968 Summer Olympics, and East Germany again at the 1972 Summer Olympics. She had a long rivalry with Nadezhda Chizhova of the Soviet Union.

Margitta Gummel did not win any medals in the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where she competed in the shot put event. Later, at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, she won a gold medal in the shot put event, and, four years later, a silver medal in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, having been beaten by her rival Nadezhda Chizhova. In the 1968 shot put event, she became the first woman to throw above 19 metres.

Gummel also competed for East Germany at the European Athletics Indoor Championships. In 1966, in Dortmund, she placed first in the shot put event. In 1968, this time in Madrid, she placed second in the shot put, beaten by Chizhova. At Sofia, in 1971, she also placed second in shot put, behind Chizhova.

She also competed in the European Athletics Championships. At the 1966 Championships, held in Budapest, she placed second in the women's shot put. Chizhova placed first. She later competed in the 1969 Championships, held in Athens, with the same results. She also participated in the 1971 Championships, held in Helsinki, but this time received third as her rival Chizhova placed first.