Hermann Weingärtner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hermann Weingärtner |
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| Country represented |  Germany |
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| Born | 27 August 1864 Frankfurt |
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| Died | 22 December 1919 (aged 55) Frankfurt, Weimar Republic |
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| Discipline | Men's artistic gymnastics | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Hermann Otto Ludwig Weingärtner (born August 27, 1864 – died December 22, 1919) was a famous German gymnast. He is best known for his amazing performance at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. There, he won six medals, which made him one of the most successful athletes at those Games!
Contents
Hermann Weingärtner: An Olympic Legend
Starting His Gymnastics Journey
Hermann Weingärtner began his gymnastics career in his hometown of Frankfurt (Oder). He trained with a local club called Frankfurter Turnverein 1860. Later, he moved to Berlin to compete for a bigger group, the Deutsche Turnerschaft.
Shining at the 1896 Olympics
In 1896, Hermann Weingärtner traveled to Athens, Greece, to compete in the very first modern Summer Olympic Games. He was part of the German gymnastics team. His team won two gold medals. They placed first in both the team parallel bars and the team horizontal bar events.
Hermann also won many medals on his own. He earned a gold medal in the individual horizontal bar event. He won silver medals in the pommel horse and rings events. He also took home a bronze medal in the vault. He competed in the parallel bars as well, but did not win a medal in that event. His six medals made him one of the most successful athletes at those first Olympic Games.
After the Olympics
When Hermann Weingärtner returned to Germany, he and most of the other German gymnasts faced a problem. The Deutsche Turnerschaft, which was the main group for German gymnastics at the time, had decided to boycott the Olympic Games. This meant they did not want their athletes to compete. They believed competing was "un-German."
Because of this, Hermann and the other gymnasts were suspended from competing. So, Hermann moved back to Frankfurt (Oder). There, he took over managing an outdoor swimming pool. His father had started this swimming pool on an island called Ziegenwerder.
A Heroic End
Hermann Weingärtner passed away in 1919. He drowned while trying to save someone else from drowning in the Oder River.
In 1996, a main path on the Ziegenwerder island was named Hermann-Weingärtner-Weg in his honor.
See also
- List of multiple Olympic medalists at a single Games
