Ulf Timmermann

East German shot putter Ulf Timmermann was the last East German Olympic flagbearer before German reunification, at Seoul in 1988. He was the son of non-Olympians discus thrower Heinz Timmermann and shot putter Doris Vollgraf. During the 1980s Timmermann was among the world’s best shot putters and won Olympic gold in 1988. Four years later in Barcelona he placed fifth. At the 1983 Worlds he won a silver medal and came in fifth in 1987. He won the 1985 and 1989 World Cups as well as European Cups in 1987, 1989 and 1991. At the European Championships he took silver in 1986 and gold in 1990. Indoors, he won the Worlds and the Europeans in 1987 and 1989, adding two more silvers at the Europeans in 1985 and 1990.

Timmermann’s greatest opponent was his teammate Udo Beyer. Timmermann won the East German Championships outdoors in 1988-90 (second in 1983-87), and indoors in 1983 and 1985-90. Between 1985 and 1989 he set four world records: indoors with 22.15 (1985) and 22.55 (1989), and outdoors with 22.62 (1985) and 23.06 (1988). His shot put technique was considered pioneering.

In 1991 dozens of theses and dissertations by former GDR doping researchers in the Military Medical Academy Bad Saarow were published by Brigitte Berendonk and professor Werner Franke. Based on their work, the state organized GDR practices, which included Ulf Timmermann, were reconstructed. According to this information Timmermann took very high doses of turinabol from 1981-84, but he always denied using anabolic steroids.

Timmermann had multiple professions. He trained at a technical school, studying machine construction, and became a construction carpenter. He later studied economics, was employed as a travel agent, owned a pub in Berlin, worked as an independent business consultant, and became director of an industrial bakery company.

Personal Best: SP – 22.64 (1986).