Thomas Köhler
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games • Other |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Full name | Thomas•Köhler |
| Used name | Thomas•Köhler |
| Born | 25 June 1940 in Zwickau, Sachsen (GER) |
| Measurements | 171 cm / 70 kg |
| Affiliations | SC Traktor Oberwiesenthal, Oberwiesenthal (GER) |
| NOC |  East Germany  Germany |
| Nationality | East Germany |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 2 |
| Silver | 1 |
| Bronze | 0 |
| Total | 3 |
Biography
The 1968 East German flagbearer in Grenoble, Thomas Köhler was the first luger to win an Olympic gold medal in singles (1964) and doubles (1968), with Klaus-Michael Bonsack. Köhler also won a silver medal in singles in Grenoble as well. He was World Champion in singles in 1962 and 1967, in 1967 in the doubles, and runner-up in doubles in 1965.
From 1969-76 Köhler was chief coach of the East German lugers, a member of the East German NOC until German reunification, and was a department head within the Deutscher Turn- und Sportverband (DTSB). In 1984 and 1988 he was Chef de Mission for the East German Winter Olympic Team. After reunification he became marketing head of a trade chain in Berlin. His brother Michael was also a world class luger but never took part in the Olympic Games.
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | Nationality | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 Winter Olympics | Luge | GER |
GDR |
Thomas Köhler | |||
| Singles, Men (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | |||||
| Doubles, Open (Olympic) | Klaus-Michael Bonsack | ||||||
| 1968 Winter Olympics | Luge | GDR |
Thomas Köhler | ||||
| Singles, Men (Olympic) | 2 | Silver | |||||
| Doubles, Open (Olympic) | Klaus-Michael Bonsack | 1 | Gold |
Other participations
| Games | Role | NOC | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 Winter Olympics | Flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony | GDR |
Thomas Köhler |
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Luge Championships (3–1–0 1962 Krynica gold: singles (competed for East Germany); 1965 Davos silver: doubles (competed for East Germany); 1967 Hammarstrand gold: singles and doubles (competed for East Germany))