Kristin Otto facts for kids
Otto in 1986
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | German | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 7 February 1966 Leipzig, Bezirk Leipzig, East Germany |
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| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 70 kilograms (154 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | freestyle, butterfly, backstroke | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Sportclub Deutsche Hochschule für Körperkultur Leipzig |
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Medal record
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Kristin Otto was born on February 7, 1966. She is a famous German swimmer who won many gold medals. She became an Olympic, World, and European champion multiple times. Kristin is best known for being the first woman ever to win six gold medals at one Olympic Games. She achieved this amazing feat at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
Kristin Otto also held world records in swimming. She set records for the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle events in a long course pool. She was also the first woman to swim the 100-meter backstroke in a short course pool in under one minute. She did this at a competition in Indiana in 1983.
Contents
Kristin Otto's Swimming Journey
Kristin Otto was born in Leipzig, which was then part of East Germany. She started swimming when she was 11 years old. She trained at a special sports academy in East Germany.
Early Success and World Championships
When Kristin was 16, she competed in her first major international event. This was the 1982 World Aquatics Championships. She won a gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke. She also helped her East German team win two more gold medals in the 4×100-meter relay races.
After 1982, Kristin changed coaches. She started focusing on different swimming styles, known as strokes. At the European Championships in 1983, she came in second place in the 100-meter freestyle. Another East German swimmer, Birgit Meineke, won that race.
Olympic Dreams and Challenges
In 1984, Kristin Otto set a new world record in the 200-meter freestyle. Everyone expected her to win many gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. However, she could not compete. This was because 14 countries from Eastern Europe, including East Germany, decided not to attend the Games. This event is known as the boycott.
In 1985, Kristin faced another challenge. She broke a bone in her back, called a vertebra. This injury kept her from competing for most of that year. She also missed the European Championships.
Return to Competition and Olympic Glory
Kristin Otto made a strong comeback at the 1986 World Championships in Madrid. She won four gold medals there. These were for the 100-meter freestyle, 200-meter individual medley, 4×100-meter medley relay, and 4×100-meter freestyle relay. She also earned two silver medals in the 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter butterfly.
Her success continued the next year at the 1987 European Championships. There, she won an impressive five gold medals.
At the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, Kristin was once again expected to win big. She did not disappoint! She won an incredible six gold medals. She also set new Olympic records in the 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter butterfly events.
Life After Swimming
Kristin Otto stopped competing in swimming in 1989. After her swimming career, she started working as a sports reporter. She reports for German television.
Kristin was recognized for her amazing talent. She was named the Female World Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World magazine in 1984, 1986, and 1988. In October 1986, she received a special award called the Star of People's Friendship for her achievements in sports.
Some people have talked about how some East German athletes used special substances to improve their performance. Kristin Otto has stated that she was not aware of being given any such substances. She also passed all the tests for banned substances during competitions. She said that her medals are a reminder of how hard she worked.
More About Swimming Champions
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
- List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (women)
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
See also
In Spanish: Kristin Otto para niños
