Hagen Melzer (born 16 June 1959, in

Bautzen Bautzen () or Budyšin () is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree river. In 2018 the town's population was 39,087. Until 1868, its German name was ''Budi ...

) is a former East German middle and long-distance runner who specialised in the

3000 m steeplechase The 3000 metres steeplechase or 3000-meter steeplechase (usually abbreviated as ) is the most common distance for the steeplechase in track and field. It is an obstacle race over the distance of the 3000 metres, which derives its name from the ho ...

. He won the gold medal at the 1986 European Championships in Stuttgart. A year later he won the silver medal at the 1987 World Championships in Rome, where he set a national record at 8:10.32 minutes. This remained his career best time, and places him second on the German all-time performers list behind

Damian Kallabis Damian Kallabis (born 10 June 1973 in Gliwice, Poland) is a retired German runner who specialized in the 3000 metres steeplechase. In 1997 his personal best time was 8:37.35 minutes. The next year he sensationally won the European Championships ...

, who ran in 8:09.48 minutes in 1999. At the Olympic Games he finished tenth in 1988 and did not reach the final in 1992. Melzer won seven East German national titles, in 1980, 1983 and the years 1985–1989. He represented the sports clubs

SC Einheit Dresden Dresdner Sportclub 1898 e.V., known simply as Dresdner SC, is a German multisport List of football clubs in Germany, club playing in Dresden, Saxony. Founded on 30 April 1898, the club was a Founding Clubs of the DFB, founding member of the Germa ...

and, after the German reunification,

Dresdner SC Dresdner Sportclub 1898 e.V., known simply as Dresdner SC, is a German multisport club playing in Dresden, Saxony. Founded on 30 April 1898, the club was a founding member of the German Football Association (Deutscher Fussball Bund) in 1900. Th ...

. He won the German title in 1991 for his new club.German championships, men's 3000 m steeplechase
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References

* 1959 births Living people People from Bautzen People from Bezirk Dresden East German male steeplechase runners East German male long-distance runners German male steeplechase runners Dresdner SC sportspeople Olympic athletes for East Germany Olympic athletes for Germany Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics World Athletics Championships medalists European Athletics Championships medalists Goodwill Games medalists in athletics Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit in silver Competitors at the 1986 Goodwill Games Friendship Games medalists in athletics Athletes from Saxony {{Germany-middledistance-athletics-bio-stub