Birte Weigang
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Full name | Birte•Weigang (-Rode) |
| Used name | Birte•Weigang |
| Born | 31 January 1968 in Leipzig, Sachsen (GER) |
| Measurements | 176 cm / 70 kg |
| Affiliations | SC Turbine Erfurt, Erfurt (GER) |
| NOC |  East Germany |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 1 |
| Silver | 2 |
| Bronze | 0 |
| Total | 3 |
Biography
Birte Weigang won two gold and one silver medal at the 1985 European Championships and one gold and two silver medals at the 1987 Europeans. At the 1986 World Championships she won the 200 butterfly bronze medal. After the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, where she won a gold in the medley relay and two silvers in the butterfly events, Weigang retired due to a ruptured disc in her back.
Weigang was the daughter of Horst (1965 Soccer Player of the Year in the former GDR) and the sister of Sven Weigang (both football [soccer] goalies). After the German reunification she confirmed that she had been given PEDs by GDR sports officials and doctors. She trained with coach Wolfgang Fricke in Erfurt and later suffered serious health problems. Her career would be as a school teacher in Berlin.
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 Summer Olympics | Swimming (Aquatics) | GDR |
Birte Weigang | |||
| 100 metres Butterfly, Women (Olympic) | 2 | Silver | ||||
| 200 metres Butterfly, Women (Olympic) | 2 | Silver | ||||
| 4 × 100 metres Medley Relay, Women (Olympic) | East Germany | 1 | Gold |
Olympic family relations
- Daughter of Horst Weigang
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a European Record in Long Course Swimming (50 m backstroke – 18 December 1983 - 22 September 1988: 29.59 (18 December 1983; Ost-Berlin, GDR), 29.16 (18 December 1983; Ost-Berlin, GDR); 50 m butterfly – 22 December 1987 - 23 September 1988: 27.75 (22 December 1987; Ost-Berlin, GDR))
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a European Record in Short Course Swimming (50 m butterfly – 8 February 1987 - 11 February 1990: 27.70 tied (8 February 1987; Bonn, FRG), 27.69 (14 February 1988; Bonn, FRG))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the European Aquatics Championships (3–3–0 1985 Sofia SWM gold: 100 m backstroke and 4×100 m medley relay, silver: 100 m butterfly; 1987 Strasbourg SWM gold: 4×100 m medley relay, silver: 100 m butterfly and 200 m butterfly)
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Aquatics Championships (0–0–1 1986 Madrid SWI bronze: 200 m butterfly)