Achim Hill (1 April 1935 – 4 August 2015) was a German

rower Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is ...

who competed for the

United Team of Germany The United Team of Germany (german: Gesamtdeutsche Mannschaft) was a combined team of athletes from West Germany and East Germany that competed in the 1956, 1960 and 1964 Winter and Summer Olympic Games. In 1956, the team also included athletes f ...

in the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

and in the 1964 Summer Olympics and for

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

in the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...

. He was born in

Köpenick Köpenick () is a historic town and locality (''Ortsteil'') in Berlin, situated at the confluence of the rivers Dahme and Spree in the south-east of the German capital. It was formerly known as Copanic and then Cöpenick, only officially adopt ...

. In 1960 he won the silver medal in the single sculls event. Four years later he won his second silver medal in the 1964 single sculls competition. At the 1968 Games he represented East Germany and finished fifth in the single sculls contest. He competed at the inaugural 1962 World Rowing Championships. The

Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Aviron World Rowing, also known as the World Rowing Federation (former abbreviation FISA; french: Fédération internationale des sociétés d'aviron), is the international governing body for rowing. Its current president is Jean-Christophe Rolland who ...

(FISA) did not recognise East Germany, and so only one German crew was permitted per event. Selection trials between East and West German crews were held the day before the championships, with West German crews winning in six of the seven categories. Hill was the only East German who qualified (in the single sculls), but he did not proceed beyond the heats. Hill was out of form in the following year and did not even make it to the selection trials for the 1963 European Rowing Championships. He won the selection trial for the 1964 European Rowing Championships and came seventh at the regatta. Hill studied airplane construction in West Berlin before the wall was raised, he then moved to

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...

, where he graduated as an engineer at the Institute of Rail Vehicles. Hill married Gisela Jäger in 1973. He died on 4 August 2015.Achim Hill, German rower, Dies at 80

References

External links

Mention of Achim Hill's death
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Achim 1935 births 2015 deaths Rowers from Berlin East German male rowers People from Treptow-Köpenick Olympic rowers of the United Team of Germany Olympic rowers of East Germany Rowers at the 1960 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 1964 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 1968 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists for the United Team of Germany Olympic medalists in rowing Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1960 Summer Olympics Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit in bronze European Rowing Championships medalists