Rudi Ball
Biographical information
| Type | Competed in Olympic Games, Competed in Olympic Games (non-medal events) |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Full name | Rudolf Victor "Rudi"•Ball |
| Used name | Rudi•Ball |
| Born | 22 June 1911 in Berlin, Berlin (GER) |
| Died | 19 September 1975 in Johannesburg (RSA) |
| Measurements | 163 cm / 63 kg |
| Affiliations | Berliner Schlittschuhclub, Berlin (GER) / Diavoli Rossoneri, Milano (ITA) |
| NOC |  Germany |
Biography
Rudi Ball was the best pre-war ice hockey player in Germany, but is best remembered for his 1936 Olympic appearance. He was the only Jewish player in the German Olympic team, and was initially not even selected. Because another star player, Gustave Jaenecke refused to play if his friend Ball was not on the team, the Germans recanted, and Ball was allowed to compete.
Ball could not match his 1932 performance, when Germany won the bronze in the four-team tournament at Lake Placid. As the third-placed European team in Garmisch, Ball did win a European Championship bronze, having won the title in 1930. He played on eight German championship teams between 1928 and 1944, and won the prestigious Spengler Cup in Davos three times. In 1948, he emigrated to South Africa, joining his brothers Heinz and Gerhard, both former ice hockey players. There he continued to play, even winning the South African Championships in 1951. In 2004, Rudi Ball was elected in the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 Winter Olympics | Ice Hockey (Ice Hockey) | GER |
Rudi Ball | |||
| Ice Hockey, Men (Olympic) | Germany | 3 | Bronze | |||
| Ice Hockey Exhibition, Men (Olympic (non-medal)) | Germany | 2 | ||||
| 1936 Winter Olympics | Ice Hockey (Ice Hockey) | GER |
Rudi Ball | |||
| Ice Hockey, Men (Olympic) | Germany | =5 |
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Ice Hockey Championships (0–1–1 1930 Chamonix, Berlin and Wien silver; 1932 Lake Placid (Olympics) bronze)
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the European Ice Hockey Championships (1–0–4 1930 Chamonix, Berlin, and Wien gold; 1933 Praha bronze; 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Olympics) bronze; 1937 London bronze; 1938 Praha bronze)
Errata
Date of birth often seen as 27 March 1910 - this is incorrect per information from the Landesarchiv in Berlin.