Walter Kusch

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameWalter•Kusch
Used nameWalter•Kusch
Born31 May 1954 in Hildesheim, Niedersachsen (GER)
Measurements182 cm / 70 kg
AffiliationsSSF Bonn 1905, Bonn (GER)
NOC West Germany
Medals OG
Gold 0
Silver 0
Bronze 1
Total 1

Biography

In the late 1960s and 1970s, breaststroke swimmer Walter Kusch was one of the greatest West German talents. The 200 m breaststroke bronze medal he won at the 1970 Barcelona European Championships seemed to be the first step towards a successful swimming career. At the 1972 Olympics, he was one of the favorites, but in München, and again four years later in Montréal, could not live up to the expectations, and finished without a medal in his individual events. Kusch finished fifth and sixth in the 100 m, respectively, and sixth and eighth in the 200 m. Nevertheless, he won the bronze medal with the medley relay in 1976, four years earlier the relay squad was eliminated in the heats.

Kusch’s greatest moment came at the 1978 Berlin World Championships, where he won the 100 m breaststroke title. He was at that time, the oldest swimming world champion. In that year. he also won the silver medal with the medley relay team and the bronze medal in the 200 m. At the 1975 Cali Worlds, he was also a member of the silver-winning medley relay squad. At the Europeans, he won a medley relay silver in 1974, and two bronze medals, in both breaststroke events at Jönköping in 1977.

Walter Kusch won West German titles in the 100 m breaststroke from 1971-78, and in the 200 m from 1970-76, and again in 1978. He later married teammate Karin Bormann and moved to Hildesheim, where he owned a dentist practice. He participated in many international senior swimming events, and set several senior European and world records.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1972 Summer Olympics Swimming (Aquatics) FRG Walter Kusch
100 metres Breaststroke, Men (Olympic) 5
200 metres Breaststroke, Men (Olympic) 6
4 × 100 metres Medley Relay, Men (Olympic) West Germany 11
1976 Summer Olympics Swimming (Aquatics) FRG Walter Kusch
100 metres Breaststroke, Men (Olympic) 6
200 metres Breaststroke, Men (Olympic) 8
4 × 100 metres Medley Relay, Men (Olympic) West Germany 3 Bronze

Olympic family relations

Special Notes