Michael Groß
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Full name | Michael•Groß |
| Used name | Michael•Groß |
| Nick/petnames | The Albatross |
| Born | 17 June 1964 in Frankfurt am Main, Hessen (GER) |
| Measurements | 201 cm / 88 kg |
| Affiliations | EOSC, Offenbach am Main (GER) |
| NOC |  West Germany |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 3 |
| Silver | 2 |
| Bronze | 1 |
| Total | 6 |
Biography
West German swimmer Michael Groß won six Olympic medals, with three golds, mostly in the butterfly and sprint freestyle events. In 1984, he won gold in the 200 metres freestyle and the 100 metres butterfly, and also silver in the 200 butterfly and 4x200 metres relay. With both 4x100 metres relay (freestyle and medley) he finished an unfortunate fourth. At Seoul, he won another gold in the 200 metres butterfly and a bronze with the 4x200 metres relay squad.
Groß was known as “The Albatross” because of his enormous arm span of over seven feet (2.14 metres). At the World Championships he won a record of 13 medals (five gold, five silver, three bronze), with individual event wins in the 200 freestyle and 200 butterfly in both 1982 and 1986. Groß also won a record 18 medals at four European Championships (13 gold, four silver, one bronze), with individual event wins in the 200 freestyle and both butterfly events in 1983 and 1985.
During his career Groß set nine world records in individual events with four at 200 freestyle, one at 400 freestyle, one at 100 butterfly, and three at 200 butterfly. He was elected World Swimmer of the Year in 1983 and 1985, and was also named German Sportsman of the Year in 1982-84, and 1988. In 1995, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, and in 2015 was also inducted into the German Sports Hall of Fame. He was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, Germany’s highest sports award.
Groß studied German political science and media studies, and received his PhD in philology in 1994. He has been working as an independent management consultant in Frankfurt / Main since 2001 and in Königstein im Taunus since 2012. In 2003 he was briefly in discussion for the position of managing director of the Leipzig Olympic application for 2012. For the failed candidacy of the city of Berlin for the 2000 Olympic Games, he worked part-time as a consultant.
Personal Bests: 100 m freestyle – ?; 200 m freestyle – ?; 100 m butterfly – ?; 200 m butterfly – 1:56.24 (1986).
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 Summer Olympics | Swimming (Aquatics) | FRG |
Michael Groß | |||
| 200 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| 4 × 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Men (Olympic) | West Germany | 4 | ||||
| 4 × 200 metres Freestyle Relay, Men (Olympic) | West Germany | 2 | Silver | |||
| 100 metres Butterfly, Men (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| 200 metres Butterfly, Men (Olympic) | 2 | Silver | ||||
| 4 × 100 metres Medley Relay, Men (Olympic) | West Germany | 4 | ||||
| 1988 Summer Olympics | Swimming (Aquatics) | FRG |
Michael Groß | |||
| 200 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | 5 | |||||
| 4 × 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Men (Olympic) | West Germany | 6 | ||||
| 4 × 200 metres Freestyle Relay, Men (Olympic) | West Germany | 3 | Bronze | |||
| 100 metres Butterfly, Men (Olympic) | 5 | |||||
| 200 metres Butterfly, Men (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| 4 × 100 metres Medley Relay, Men (Olympic) | West Germany | 4 |
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the Summer Universiade (1–2–2 1985 Kobe SWI gold: 200 m butterfly, silver: 4×100 m freestyle relay and 4×200 m freestyle relay, bronze: 100 m butterfly and 4×100 m medley relay)
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a European Record in Long Course Swimming (200 m freestyle – 1 August 1982 - 15 June 1983 and 21 June 1983 - 15 August 1989: 1:49.55 (1 August 1982; Guayaquil, ECU), 1:48.28 (21 June 1983; Hannover, FRG), 1:47.87 (22 August 1983; Roma, ITA), 1:47.55 (8 June 1984; München, FRG), 1:47.44 (29 July 1984; Los Angeles, USA); 400 m freestyle – 27 June 1985 - 25 March 1988: 3:47.80 (27 June 1985; Remscheid, FRG); 50 m butterfly – 2 August 1982 - 22 July 1988: 25.19 (2 August 1982; Guayaquil, ECU), 24.77 (30 July 1984; Los Angeles, USA); 100 m butterfly – 1 July 1982 - 23 May 1984 and 9 June 1984 - 23 August 1995: 54.00 (1 July 1982; Darmstadt, FRG), 54.00 tied (23 August 1983; Roma, ITA), 53.78 (9 June 1984; Monte Carlo, MON), 53.08 (30 July 1984; Los Angeles, USA); 200 m butterfly – 11 September 1981 - 14 June 1995: 1:59.19 (11 September 1981; Split, YUG), 1:59.00 (3 July 1982; Darmstadt, FRG), 1:58.85 (6 August 1982; Guayaquil, ECU), 1:58.37 (24 June 1983; Hannover, FRG), 1:58.22 (25 June 1983; Hannover, FRG), 1:57.05 (26 August 1983; Roma, ITA), 1:57.01 (29 June 1985; Remscheid, FRG), 1:56.65 (10 August 1985; Sofia, BUL), 1:56.24 (28 June 1986; Hannover, GER); 4×100 m freestyle relay – 29 July 1981 - 21 August 1981: 3:23.87 (29 July 1981; Heidelberg, FRG); 4×200 m freestyle relay – 23 August 1983 - 27 July 1992: 7:20.40 (23 August 1983; Roma, ITA), 7:15.73 (30 July 1984; Los Angeles, USA), 7:13.10 (19 August 1987; Strasbourg, FRA))
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a European Record in Short Course Swimming (200 m freestyle – 5 February 1988 - 14 February 1990: 1:44.14 (5 February 1988; Paris, FRA); 800 m freestyle – 8 February 1985 - 26 January 1997: 7:38.75 (8 February 1985; Bonn, FRG); 100 m butterfly – 10 March 1990 - 29 January 1997: 52.51 (10 March 1990; Aachen, FRG); 4×100 m medley relay – 6 February 1987 - 12 February 1993: 3:37.96 (6 February 1987; Bonn, FRG))
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a World Record in Long Course Swimming (200 m freestyle – 21 June 1983 - 19 September 1988: 1:48.28 (21 June 1983; Hannover, FRG), 1:47.87 (22 August 1983; Roma, ITA), 1:47.55 (8 June 1984; München, FRG), 1:47.44 (29 July 1984; Los Angeles, USA); 400 m freestyle – 27 June 1985 - 25 March 1988: 3:47.80 (27 June 1985; Wuppertal, FRG); 100 m butterfly – 30 July 1984 - 23 June 1986: 53.08 (30 July 1984; Los Angeles, USA); 200 m butterfly – 26 August 1983 - 3 August 1984 and 29 June 1985 - 12 January 1991: 1:57.05 (26 August 1983; Roma, ITA), 1:57.01 (29 June 1985; Wuppertal, FRG), 1:56.65 (10 August 1985; Sofia, BUL), 1:56.24 (28 June 1986; Hannover, FRG); 4×200 m freestyle relay – 23 August 1983 - 30 July 1984 and 19 August 1987 - 21 September 1988: 7:20.40 (23 August 1983; Roma, ITA), 7:13.10 (19 August 1987; Strasbourg, FRA))
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a World Record in Short Course Swimming (200 m freestyle – 1 December 1981 - 11 February 1990: 1:44.50 (1 December 1981; Bremen, FRG), 1:44.14 (5 February 1988; Boulogne-Billancourt, FRA); 800 m freestyle – 3 February 1985 - 25 July 1993: 7:38.75 (3 February 1985; Bonn, FRG))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the European Aquatics Championships (13–4–2 1981 SWM Split gold: 200 m butterfly, silver: 4×200 m freestyle relay, bronze: 4×100 m freestyle relay; 1983 Roma SWM gold: 200 m freestyle, 100 m butterfly, 200 m butterfly, and 4×200 m freestyle relay, silver: 4×100 m medley relay; 1985 Sofia SWM gold: 200 m freestyle, 100 m butterfly, 200 m butterfly, 4×100 m freestyle relay, 4×200 m freestyle relay, and 4×100 m medley relay; 1987 Strasbourg SWM gold: 200 m butterfly and 4×200 m freestyle relay, silver: 100 m butterfly and 4×100 m freestyle relay, bronze: 200 m freestyle)
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Aquatics Championships (5–5–3 1982 Guayaquil SWI gold: 200 m freestyle and 200 m butterfly, silver: 100 m butterfly, bronze: 4×200 m freestyle relay and 4×100 m medley relay; 1986 Madrid SWI gold: 200 m freestyle and 200 m butterfly, silver: 4×200 m freestyle relay and 4×100 m medley relay; 1991 Perth SWI gold: 4×200 m freestyle relay, silver: 100 m butterfly and 200 m butterfly, bronze: 4×100 m medley relay (competed for Germany))
- Listed in Olympians Who Were Elected German Athlete of the Year (1982, 1983, 1984, 1988)