Udo Beyer in 1981
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Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born |
Stalinstadt, East Germany |
August 9, 1955 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 6 ft 4 1⁄2 in (1.94 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 135 kg (298 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country |
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Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event(s) | Shot put | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club | ASK Vorwärts Potsdam | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal best(s) | 22.64 m (1986) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Udo Beyer (born August 9, 1955) is a former East German track and field athlete who competed in the shot put.
Beyer is the oldest of the six children of heating mechanic Hans-Georg Beyer and his wife Eva-Marie and was born in Stalinstadt, today Eisenhüttenstadt. He grew up in Breslack, (today the municipality of Neißemünde), and in Eisenhüttenstadt. Like all of his siblings, he played handball at the local sport club. He was a member of the team representing the district in Frankfurt where he became a successful goalkeeper. On the advice of his father he decided to pursue a sporting career, concentrating on athletics. After the youth tournament in 1969, he changed to the youth sports school in Frankfurt (Oder), where he earned his Abitur. At the same time he became a member of ASK Vorwärts Frankfurt.
In 1970 Ernst Kühl became his trainer, himself a successful shot putter and discus thrower for East Germany. Kühl had taken part in the 1960 and 1964 unified German team at the Summer Olympic games. In 1973 Beyer changed clubs as well as coaches moving to ASK Vorwärts Potsdam under Lothar Hillebrand. In Potsdam he concentrated solely on the shot put and began also studying at the University to become a physical education teacher. As a member of the Army sports club (ASK) Beyer was also a sports officer of the NVA and had also become Hauptmann (Captain) in the Bundeswehr. His sport career was essentially over after the 1988 Summer Olympic games, but his wife was able to convince him in 1990 to continue until 1992.
For many years, Beyer was captain of the East German athletics national team.
At a height of 1.94 meters, he weighed 130 kilograms. Even for a shot putter, Beyer was exceptionally strong.
At the end of his sport career, Beyer started work as a travel agent and has owned a travel agency in Potsdam since 1996. He lives in Potsdam and has been married since 1976 and has had two daughters, one of whom died as a child.