Petra Thümer (later Deckert then Katzur, born 29 January 1961) is a former
swimmer
Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...
from
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 ...
. She won gold medals in the 400 m and 800 m freestyle at the
1976 Summer Olympics
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phi ...
[ and the ]1977 European Aquatics Championships
The 1977 European Aquatics Championships were held at the swimming complex Rosenlundsbadet in the southern Swedish city of Jönköping, from 14 August to 21 August. Besides swimming, there were titles contested in diving, the women's event of syn ...
. During her career she set five world records in the 400 m and 800 m freestyle. In 1987 she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame
The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum (ISHOF) is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests and serving as the central point for the s ...
.[
Later she admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs as part of the East German training system.][ For this reason she missed the 1978 World Championships – coaches feared she would not pass the doping test and excluded her from the East German team, officially explaining her absence by injuries.][
In 1979 she retired from swimming and worked as a photographer.][
She was married to the German Olympic athletes ]Klaus Katzur
Klaus Katzur (26 August 1943 – 4 September 2016) was a German Swimming (sport), swimmer who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics, 1964, 1968 Summer Olympics, 1968, and 1972 Summer Olympics. In 1972, he won a silver medal in the 4 × 100 metre ...
(swimmer) and Alf-Gerd Deckert
Alf-Gerd Deckert (born 4 July 1955) is a retired cross-country skier from East Germany. He competed at the 1980 Winter Olympics in the 15 km, 30 km and 50 km events and finished in 37th, 9th and 26th place, respectively.
He was ma ...
(cross-country skier).[
]
See also
* List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
References
1961 births
Sportspeople from Chemnitz
Doping cases in swimming
German sportspeople in doping cases
German female swimmers
East German female freestyle swimmers
Olympic swimmers of East Germany
Olympic gold medalists for East Germany
Swimmers at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Living people
World record setters in swimming
Medalists at the 1976 Summer Olympics
European Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming
Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit in silver
Olympic gold medalists in swimming
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