Karin Kessow

Karin Kessow, born in Rostock, won her first national title in 1973, winning the DDR Sprint Championships. The following year, she débuted internationally at the European Championships (11th) and World Sprint Championships (5th). In 1975, she surprisingly won the World Championships in Assen, thanks to a superior 1,500 m. In her next season, which turned out to be her last, she took part in the Olympic Games in Innsbruck, finishing just outside of the medal positions with a fourth (3,000 m) and fifth (1,500 m) place. After the World Championships that year, which she ended by winning the final 3,000 m, she retired from skating. Kessow, who also skated an unofficial 5,000 m world record in 1975, later became a skating coach in Berlin.

Personal Bests: 500 – 44.2 (1976); 1000 – 1:27.2 (1976); 1500 – 2:13.1 (1976); 3000 – 4:39.1 (1976); 5000 – 8:20.4 (1976).