Birgit Fischer-Schmidt
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games • Other |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Full name | Birgit•Fischer-Schmidt |
| Used name | Birgit•Fischer-Schmidt |
| Born | 25 February 1962 in Brandenburg an der Havel, Brandenburg (GER) |
| Measurements | 172 cm / 69 kg |
| Affiliations | ASK Vorwärts Potsdam, Potsdam (GER) / OSC Potsdam, Potsdam (GER) / WSV Mannheim-Sandhofen, Mannheim (GER) |
| NOC |  East Germany  Germany |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 8 |
| Silver | 4 |
| Bronze | 0 |
| Total | 12 |
Biography
Birgit Fischer-Schmidt of Germany (formerly East Germany) is considered the greatest woman canoeist of all time. Her total of 37 medals (1979-2005) and 27 gold medals (1979-1998) at the World Championships has never been approached and her 12 Olympic medals and eight gold medals are also records. Representing East Germany (GDR) she won the Olympic K1 title in 1980 (as Miss Fischer) and the K2 and K4 in 1988.
After a three-year break from competition, during which she gave birth to her second child, she won the K1 in 1992 as a member of the unified German team. In 1996 at Atlanta, she paddled with the German K4 team to win her fifth gold medal, and at Sydney in 2000, she added golds in both K2 and K4. Her meanwhile divorced husband, Jörg Schmidt, was a World Champion and Olympic silver medalist (in the C1-1,000 in 1988).
Birgit Fischer initially retired after the 2000 Olympic Games, but returned in 2003 and competed in the 2004 Olympic Games, winning a gold and silver medal. She won gold medals at six different Olympic Games, spanning 24 years. Schmidt-Fischer also won two medals at the 2005 World Championships. It appeared she would compete forever.
In 2005, she was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, Germany’s highest sports award. In 2008, she was inducted into the German Sports Hall of Fame. She became the most successful German Olympian of all times (as of 2020). Schmidt later ran a canoeing school.
Results
Other participations
| Games | Role | NOC | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Summer Olympics | Flagbearer at the Closing Ceremony | GER |
Birgit Fischer-Schmidt | |
| 2000 Summer Olympics | Flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony | GER |
Birgit Fischer-Schmidt |
Olympic family relations
- Wife (divorced) of Jörg Schmidt
- Sister-in-law of Sarina Hülsenbeck
- Aunt of Fanny Fischer
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the Canoe Sprint European Championships (2–4–3 2000 Poznań gold: K2 1000 m and K4 1000 m (competed as Birgit Fischer for Germany); 2000 Poznań silver: K2 200 m and K4 200 m, bronze: K2 500 m (competed as Birgit Fischer for Germany); 2004 Poznań silver: K2 500 m, bronze: K2 200 m (competed as Birgit Fischer for Germany); 2005 Poznań silver: K4 1000 m, bronze: K2 200 m (competed as Birgit Fischer for Germany))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the Canoe Sprint World Championships (27–6–4 1979 Duisburg gold: K4 500 m (competed as Birgit Fischer for East Germany); 1981 Nottingham gold: K1 500 m, K2 500 m, and K4 500 m (competed as Birgit Fischer for East Germany); 1982 Beograd gold: K1 500 m, K2 500 m, and K4 500 m (competed as Birgit Fischer for East Germany); 1983 Tampere gold: K1 500 m, K2 500 m, and K4 500 m (competed as Birgit Fischer for East Germany); 1985 Mechelen gold: K1 500 m, K2 500 m, and K4 500 m (competed as Birgit Schmidt for East Germany); 1987 Duisburg gold: K1 500 m, K2 500 m, and K4 500 m (competed as Birgit Schmidt for East Germany); 1993 København gold: K1 500 m and K4 500 m, bronze: K1 5000 m (competed as Birgit Schmidt for Germany); 1994 Ciudad de México gold: K1 500 m and K4 500 m, silver: K2 200 m and K4 200 m, bronze: K2 500 m (competed as Birgit Schmidt for Germany); 1995 Duisburg gold: K4 500 m, silver: K4 200 m (competed as Birgit Schmidt for Germany); 1997 Dartmouth gold: K2 200 m, K2 500 m, K2 1000 m, K4 200 m, and K4 500 m (competed as Birgit Fischer for Germany); 1998 Szeged gold: K2 500 m, silver: K4 500 m and K2 1000 m (competed as Birgit Fischer for Germany); 1999 Milano silver: K4 500 m (competed as Birgit Fischer for Germany); 2005 Zagreb bronze: K2 200 m and K4 1000 m (competed as Birgit Fischer for Germany))
- Listed in Olympians Who Were Elected German Athlete of the Year (2004)