Eckhard Tielscher

Eckhard Tielscher finished an unfortunate fourth with the East German volleyball team at the 1968 Mexico-City Olympics. The Soviet bus was stuck in traffic prior to their match against the GDR and they were 90 minutes late for the match. The East Germans could have taken a forfeit, but elected not to, and the USSR won the match in five sets. Had the USSR defaulted, Czechoslovakia would have won the gold medal, and East Germany would likely have won a medal. After returning home, the supposedly amateur East German players received the same rewards from the government usually accorded to silver medalists.

Nationally Tielscher played with SC Rotation Leipzig, later SC Leipzig, winning nine national titles from 1962-65, and from 1967-1970, and in 1964 the European Cup of Champions.