Waltraud Kretzschmar

Waltraud Kretzschmar
Waltraud Kretzschmar in 1978
Personal information
Full name Waltraud Hermann
Born 1 February 1948
Kloster Lehnin, Allied-occupied Germany
Died 7 February 2018(2018-02-07) (aged 70)
Nationality German
National team
Years Team Apps (Gls)
–
 East Germany 217 (727)
Medal record
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1976 Montreal Team
Bronze medal – third place 1980 Moscow Team
IHF World Championship
Gold medal – first place 1971 Netherlands
Gold medal – first place 1975 Soviet Union
Gold medal – first place 1978 Czechoslovakia

Waltraud Kretzschmar (née Hermann then Czelake, 1 February 1948 in Kloster Lehnin – 7 February 2018) was an East German handball player who competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics and in the 1980 Summer Olympics. In the 1970s, she was considered the best and most successful handball player in the world.[1]

In 1976 she won the silver medal with the East German team. She played three matches including the final and scored eight goals. Four years later she won the bronze medal as a member of the East German. She played one match and scored one goal.[2]

Kretzschmar married her coach, Peter Kretzschmar, in 1972.[3] They lived in Schöneiche near Berlin. She died unexpectedly on 7 February 2018 and was buried in Leipzig in a family grave. Stefan Kretzschmar is their son.[4]

  1. ^ NACHRICHTEN, n-tv. "Handball-"Idol" Waltraud Kretzschmar ist tot". n-tv.de (in German). Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Waltraud Kretzschmar". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  3. ^ Kluge, Volker (2004). Das große Lexikon der DDR-Sportler: Die 1000 erfolgreichsten und populärsten Sportlerinnen und Sportler aus der DDR, ihre Erfolge, Medaillen und Biographien [The big lexicon of the GDR athletes: The 1000 most successful and popular athletes from the GDR, their successes, medals and biographies.] (in German) (2 ed.). Berlin: Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf Verlag. pp. 313f. ISBN 3-89602-538-4.
  4. ^ "Waltraud Kretzschmar ist im Alter von 70 Jahren gestorben" [Waltraud Kretzschmar died at the age of 70]. Leipziger Volkszeitung (in German). 14 February 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2018.