Klaus Köste

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameKlaus•Köste
Used nameKlaus•Köste
Born27 February 1943 in Frankfurt (Oder), Brandenburg (GER)
Died14 December 2012 in Leipzig, Sachsen (GER)
Measurements164 cm / 61 kg
AffiliationsSC DHfK, Leipzig (GER)
NOC East Germany Germany
Nationality East Germany
Medals OG
Gold 1
Silver 0
Bronze 3
Total 4

Biography

Klaus Köste won a bronze at the 1970 World Championships on the horizontal bar and won the 1971 and 1973 European Championships on the same apparatus. He started for the combined German team in 1964 and for the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in 1968 and 1972. Köste started his career at the age of six in his hometown of Frankfurt (Oder) but later moved to Leipzig. In 1972 he earned the Vaterländische Verdienstorden (Patriotic Order of Merit) of the GDR in gold. In 1974 he had to retire due to a tear of his Achilles tendon. With his 34 national titles he was one of the most successful German gymnasts ever.

Köste then studied sports at the Deutsche Hochschule für Körperkultur (DHfK) at Leipzig and became a trainer and high school teacher. From 1974-76 he was GDR national women’s coach and from 1976-85 was the chief trainer at SC Leipzig. He also taught sports at DHfK Leipzig during that time. From 1998-2002 he was one of the assistants to cycling legend Gustav-Adolf Schur when he was elected to the German Bundestag for the left-wing party PDS, and Köste was also active with the German Gymnastics Association from 2001-04. He died from a heart attack in 2012.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal Nationality As
1964 Summer Olympics Artistic Gymnastics (Gymnastics) GER GDR Klaus Köste
Individual All-Around, Men (Olympic) 18
Team All-Around, Men (Olympic) Unified Team of Germany 3 Bronze
Floor Exercise, Men (Olympic) =14 r1/2
Horse Vault, Men (Olympic) =19 r1/2
Parallel Bars, Men (Olympic) =18 r1/2
Horizontal Bar, Men (Olympic) =21 r1/2
Rings, Men (Olympic) =49 r1/2
Pommelled Horse, Men (Olympic) =28 r1/2
1968 Summer Olympics Artistic Gymnastics (Gymnastics) GDR Klaus Köste
Individual All-Around, Men (Olympic) 16
Team All-Around, Men (Olympic) East Germany 3 Bronze
Floor Exercise, Men (Olympic) =21 r1/2
Horse Vault, Men (Olympic) =30 r1/2
Parallel Bars, Men (Olympic) =33 r1/2
Horizontal Bar, Men (Olympic) 4
Rings, Men (Olympic) =11 r1/2
Pommelled Horse, Men (Olympic) =45 r1/2
1972 Summer Olympics Artistic Gymnastics (Gymnastics) GDR Klaus Köste
Individual All-Around, Men (Olympic) =6
Team All-Around, Men (Olympic) East Germany 3 Bronze
Floor Exercise, Men (Olympic) 5
Horse Vault, Men (Olympic) 1 Gold
Parallel Bars, Men (Olympic) 9 r1/1
Horizontal Bar, Men (Olympic) =15 r1/1
Rings, Men (Olympic) =5
Pommelled Horse, Men (Olympic) 13 r1/1