Michael Wessing

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameMichael Thomas Maria•Wessing
Used nameMichael•Wessing
Born29 August 1952 in Recklinghausen, Nordrhein-Westfalen (GER)
Died7 May 2019 in Osnabrück, Niedersachsen (GER)
Measurements182 cm / 88 kg
AffiliationsTV Wattenscheid, Wattenscheid, Bochum (GER)
NOC West Germany

Biography

Javelin thrower Michael Wessing finished ninth at the 1976 Montréal Olympics and was nominated for the 1980 Moskva Games, but could not start due to the US-led boycott. Wessing won the 1977 World Cup and came in fourth two years later. His greatest sports moment was the gold medal at the 1978 Europeans in Praha, after not making the final in 1974. At the European Cup he was third in 1977 and second in 1979. He was ranked world number one in 1978 and topped the world list by over 3 metres with his German record 94.22 on 3rd of August 1978 – this was the world’s second best ever throw, just 36 cm short of Miklós Németh’s world record.

Domestically Wessing won West German titles in 1976-80. In 1979 he was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf. In his youth he was an excellent handball player. In 2019 he died suddenly after surgery in Osnabrück on May 7 at the age of 66.

Personal Best: JT – 94.22 (1978).

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1976 Summer Olympics Athletics FRG Michael Wessing
Javelin Throw, Men (Olympic) 9

Special Notes