Petra Thümer
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Full name | Petra•Thümer (-Deckert-, -Katzur-, -Rosenkranz) |
| Used name | Petra•Thümer |
| Born | 29 January 1961 in Chemnitz, Sachsen (GER) |
| Measurements | 174 cm / 62 kg |
| Affiliations | SC Karl-Marx-Stadt, Chemnitz (GER) |
| NOC |  East Germany |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 2 |
| Silver | 0 |
| Bronze | 0 |
| Total | 2 |
Biography
Long-distance freestyle swimmer Petra Thümer twice triumphed over the American Shirley Babashoff at the 1976 Montréal Olympics in the 400 and 800 metres. Babashoff later tried to get these results withdrawn several times, but without success. Thümer also won three gold medals at the 1977 Jönköping Europeans in the 200, 400, and 800 freestyles. She won East German national titles in the 400 metres in 1977 and 1978, and in the 800 metres from 1976-78. Thümer set five individual world records, two in the 400 freestyle and three in the 800 free.
Thümer later married cross-country skier Alf-Gerd Deckert and then her teammate Klaus Katzur, but both marriages ended in divorce. In 1987 she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. After German re-unification, former East German officials admitted to administering doping to nearly all their swimmers, including Thümer. By profession, she became a photographer.
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 Summer Olympics | Swimming (Aquatics) | GDR |
Petra Thümer | |||
| 400 metres Freestyle, Women (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| 800 metres Freestyle, Women (Olympic) | 1 | Gold |
Olympic family relations
- Wife (divorced) of Klaus Katzur
- Wife (divorced) of Alf-Gerd Deckert
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a European Record in Long Course Swimming (400 m freestyle – 20 July 1976 - 22 July 1980: 4:09.89 (20 July 1976; Montréal, CAN), 4:08.91 (17 July 1977; Jonköping, SWE); 800 m freestyle – 19 April 1976 - 27 July 1980: 8:47.52 (19 April 1976; Leeds, GBR), 8:40.68 (4 June 1976; Ost-Berlin, GDR), 8:37.14 (25 July 1976; Montréal, CAN), 8:35.04 (9 July 1977; Leipzig, GDR))
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a World Record in Long Course Swimming (400 m freestyle – 20 July 1976 - 2 August 1978: 4:09.89 (20 July 1976; Montréal, CAN), 4:08.91 (17 August 1977; Jönköping, SWE); 800 m freestyle – 4 June 1976 - 21 June 1976 and 25 July 1976 - 6 January 1978: 8:40.68 (4 June 1976; Ost-Berlin, GDR), 8:37.14 (25 July 1976; Montréal, CAN), 8:35.04 (9 July 1977; Leipzig, GDR))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the European Aquatics Championships (3–0–0 1977 Jönköping SWM gold: 200 m freestyle, 400 m freestyle, and 800 m freestyle)
- Listed in Olympic Swimmers - Doubles Champions, Same Year (1976 Distance Freestyle Double Champion (400/800).)