At the 1960 Roma Olympics Walter Mahlendorf was eliminated in the heats of the 100 metres and ran the third leg for Germany’s 4x100 m relay team. In their first round heat Germany equaled the world record of 39.5, first set by the USA at the previous Olympics and then equaled by Germany in 1958. In the final the Germans finished second behind the United States, but 15 minutes after the final it was announced that the USA had been disqualified for an exchange zone infraction. Germany’s time was another 39.5, again equaling the world record. Mahlendorf was also a member of Germany’s gold medal winning sprint relay team at the 1958 European Championships. Domestically, Mahlendorf never won a German title, but won a 200 m silver in 1959 and 100 m bronze in 1960. After finishing his sporting career, Mahlendorf worked as a director at a sports complex in Bochum.
Personal Best: 100 – 10.4 (1958).
Germany
West Germany