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Kristin Otto
Kristin Otto 1986.jpg
Otto in 1986
Personal information
Nationality German
Born (1966-02-07) 7 February 1966 (age 58)
Leipzig, Bezirk Leipzig, East Germany
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 70 kilograms (154 lb)
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes freestyle, butterfly, backstroke
Club Sportclub Deutsche Hochschule
für Körperkultur Leipzig
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing  East Germany
Olympic Games
Gold 1988 Seoul 50 m freestyle
Gold 1988 Seoul 100 m freestyle
Gold 1988 Seoul 100 m butterfly
Gold 1988 Seoul 100 m backstroke
Gold 1988 Seoul 4 × 100 m freestyle
Gold 1988 Seoul 4 × 100 m medley
World Championships (LC)
Gold 1982 Guayaquil 100 m backstroke
Gold 1982 Guayaquil 4 × 100 m medley
Gold 1982 Guayaquil 4 × 100 m freestyle
Gold 1986 Madrid 100 m freestyle
Gold 1986 Madrid 200 m medley
Gold 1986 Madrid 4 × 100 m freestyle
Gold 1986 Madrid 4 × 100 m medley
Silver 1986 Madrid 50 m freestyle
Silver 1986 Madrid 100 m butterfly
European Championships (LC)
Gold 1983 Rome 4 × 100 m freestyle
Gold 1983 Rome 4 × 200 m freestyle
Gold 1987 Strasbourg 100 m freestyle
Gold 1987 Strasbourg 100 m backstroke
Gold 1987 Strasbourg 100 m butterfly
Gold 1987 Strasbourg 4 × 100 m freestyle
Gold 1987 Strasbourg 4 × 100 m medley
Gold 1989 Bonn 100 m backstroke
Gold 1989 Bonn 4 × 100 m medley
Silver 1983 Rome 100 m freestyle
Bronze 1989 Bonn 200 m backstroke
Friendship Games
Gold 1984 Moscow 100 m freestyle
Gold 1984 Moscow 200 m freestyle
Gold 1984 Moscow 4 × 100 m freestyle
Silver 1984 Moscow 100 m backstroke
Bronze 1984 Moscow 200 m backstroke

Kristin Otto (German pronunciation: [ˈkʁɪstɪn ˈʔɔtoː]; born 7 February 1966) is a German Olympic swimming champion. She is most famous for being the first woman to win six gold medals at a single Olympic Games, doing so at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. In long course, she held the world records in the 100 meter and 200 meter freestyle events. Otto was also the first woman to swim the short course 100 meter backstroke in under a minute, doing so at an international short course meet at Indiana University in 1983.

Career

Otto was born in Leipzig, Bezirk Leipzig (present-day Sachsen), East Germany, and began swimming at the age of 11, training in an East German sports academy. At sixteen, she participated in her first world championships, the 1982 World Aquatics Championships, winning the gold medal in the 100 meter backstroke as well as two additional gold medals in the 4×100 m relays with the East German team.

After 1982, Otto changed coaches and began concentrating on other speed strokes. At the following European Championships in 1983, Otto finished second in the 100 meter freestyle, following her fellow East German, Birgit Meineke.

In 1984, Otto set a world record in the 200 meter freestyle. She was expected to win gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, but was unable to compete due to the boycott by 14 Eastern Bloc countries, including East Germany. In 1985 she fractured a vertebra, keeping her from competing for most of the year or to go to the European Championships.

Otto returned to competitive swimming at the 1986 World Championships in Madrid, where she won 4 gold medals (100 m freestyle, 200 m individual medley, 4×100 m medley relay and 4×100 m freestyle relay) and 2 silver medals (50 m freestyle, 100 m butterfly). Her success continued the following year at the 1987 European Championships where she won 5 gold medals.

At the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games she once again was expected to win Olympic gold. She won six gold medals, as well as setting Olympic records in the 50 m freestyle and 100 m butterfly.

Otto retired from swimming in 1989. She currently works as a sports reporter for German television.

She was named the Female World Swimmer of the Year in 1984, 1986 and 1988 by Swimming World. In October 1986, she was awarded a Star of People's Friendship in gold (second class) for her sporting success.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Kristin Otto para niños

  • 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
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