East Germany at the Olympics facts for kids

Quick facts for kids East Germany at the Olympics
IOC code	GDR
NOC	National Olympic Committee of the GDR
Medals Ranked 12th	Gold Silver Bronze Total 192 165 162 519
Summer appearances
1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988
Winter appearances
1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988
Other related appearances
Germany (1896–1936, 1992–)  United Team of Germany (1956–1964)

The German Democratic Republic (GDR), often called East Germany, was a country that existed from 1949 to 1990. It had its own special sports group, called the National Olympic Committee of the GDR. This group was formed on April 22, 1951, in East Berlin. It was one of three German Olympic committees at the time. For more than ten years, the main Olympic organization, the IOC, did not officially recognize it.

East Germany's Olympic Journey

After World War II, Germany was divided into different parts. Because of this, no German team could join the 1948 Olympic Games. Later, in 1949, a new Olympic Committee for Germany was created in West Germany. This committee was later recognized by the IOC as representing both German states.

Joining the United German Team

At first, East Germany's Olympic group did not want to send their athletes to the 1952 Games as part of an all-German team. They wanted their own team, but the IOC said no.

However, East Germany later agreed to join a "United Team of Germany." Athletes from both East and West Germany competed together in the Olympic Games in 1956, 1960, and 1964. This team was simply called 'Germany' back then. Today, the IOC refers to it as EUA, which means 'Équipe unifiée d'Allemagne' (United Team of Germany).

East Germany Competes Independently

In 1961, during the Cold War, the Berlin Wall was built. This made the separation between East and West Germany even stronger. In 1965, East Germany's Olympic group changed its name. In 1968, the IOC finally recognized it as an independent Olympic Committee.

After this, East Germany stopped being part of the United German Team. They sent their own separate East German team to the Olympics from 1968 to 1988. They did not participate in the 1984 Summer Olympics because they joined a boycott led by the Soviet Union.

East Germany's Amazing Success

East Germany was a small country with about 16 million people. Even though its history was short, especially at the Olympics, it was incredibly successful. From 1976 to 1988, East Germany finished second in the medal count at all three Summer Olympics they attended. They were behind the Soviet Union but far ahead of West Germany, which was a much larger country.

They did even better at the Winter Games. They finished second four times and even came in first place at the 1984 Winter Olympics.

Why Was East Germany So Successful?

Many people believe that East Germany's success was partly due to a special sports program. This program helped them find and train promising athletes. They also had world-class coaches.

However, it is also widely believed that East Germany used forbidden methods to help its athletes perform better. This included using certain substances to improve their strength and speed. While some athletes later failed tests, many records and medals won by East German athletes still stand today.

A very important person in East German sports was Manfred Ewald. He helped organize and lead sports in East Germany for many years. He is often seen as the person behind the "GDR sports miracle."

Germany Reunited

In 1990, East Germany ceased to exist and joined with West Germany to form a reunified Germany. Because of this, the East German Olympic Committee joined the German Olympic Committee. German athletes have competed as a single team again since the 1992 Olympic Games.

Even after reunification, athletes from the former East Germany continued to win a lot of medals for the new unified Germany. This shows that their strong training conditions were also a big reason for their success, not just the forbidden methods. For example, in the 2006 Winter Olympics, athletes born in East Germany won many medals, even though they made up a smaller part of Germany's population. Many top German athletes today who live in the western part of Germany actually started their sports careers in the East.

Olympic Medals by Games

East Germany won a total of 192 gold, 165 silver, and 162 bronze medals at the Olympic Games. This adds up to 519 medals in total.

Summer Olympics Medals

East Germany participated in five Summer Olympic Games as an independent team. They won a total of 153 gold, 129 silver, and 127 bronze medals. Their best performance was in 1976, 1980, and 1988, when they finished second in the overall medal count.

Games	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total	Rank
1968 Mexico City	9	9	7	25	5
1972 Munich	20	23	23	66	3
1976 Montreal	40	25	25	90	2
1980 Moscow	47	37	42	126	2
1988 Seoul	37	35	30	102	2
Total	153	129	127	409	11

Winter Olympics Medals

East Germany participated in six Winter Olympic Games as an independent team. They won a total of 39 gold, 36 silver, and 35 bronze medals. Their best performance was in 1984, when they finished first in the overall medal count.

Games	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total	Rank
1968 Grenoble	1	2	2	5	10
1972 Sapporo	4	3	7	14	2
1976 Innsbruck	7	5	7	19	2
1980 Lake Placid	9	7	7	23	2
1984 Sarajevo	9	9	6	24	1
1988 Calgary	9	10	6	25	2
Total	39	36	35	110	14

Medals by Sport

Summer Sports

East Germany was very strong in sports like Athletics, Swimming, and Rowing.

Winter Sports

In winter sports, East Germany excelled in Luge, Speed Skating, and Bobsleigh.

See also

In Spanish: Alemania Oriental en los Juegos Olímpicos para niños

• List of flag bearers for East Germany at the Olympics
• Olympic competitors for East Germany
• East Germany at the Paralympics
• East Germany national athletics team
• Doping in East Germany