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Klaus-Dieter Ludwig

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Klaus-Dieter Ludwig
Personal information
Born2 January 1943
Züllichau, Germany
Died18 May 2016(2016-05-18) (aged 73)
Height170 cm (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Weight55 kg (121 lb)[1]
Sport
SportRowing
Medal record
Men's rowing
Representing  East Germany
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1980 Moscow Eight
Silver medal – second place 1972 Munich Coxed four
Friendship Games
Silver medal – second place 1984 Moscow Eight
World Rowing Championships
Gold medal – first place 1966 Bled Coxed four
Gold medal – first place 1975 Nottingham Eight
Gold medal – first place 1979 Bled Eight
Gold medal – first place 1981 Munich Coxed four
Silver medal – second place 1970 St. Catharines Coxed pair
Silver medal – second place 1982 Lucerne Eight
European Rowing Championships
Silver medal – second place 1973 Moscow Coxed four

Klaus-Dieter Ludwig, known as Lucky in rowing circles[1] (2 January 1943 – 18 May 2016), was a German coxswain who competed for East Germany in the 1972 Summer Olympics and in the 1980 Summer Olympics. He had a long rowing career and competed on the international stage for 19 seasons, retiring aged 41.

Biography

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He was born in 1943 in Züllichau, at the time located in Germany but since the end of World War II part of Poland.[2] He started rowing in 1958 at age 15 but after two or three years, he became a coxswain instead. At 170 cm, he was tall for a cox but he suppressed hunger by heavy smoking to keep his weight at 55 kg, the minimum weight for that role. He competed for the SG Dynamo Potsdam / Sportvereinigung (SV) Dynamo.[1]

Ludwig's first international race was at the 1966 World Rowing Championships in Bled where he won gold with the coxed four.[1]

In 1972 he coxed the East German boat that won the gold medal in the coxed four event.[2] In 1973 he won a silver medal at the European Rowing Championships in Moscow.[3] At the 1980 Olympics he won the gold medal with the East German boat in the men's eight competition.[2] He retired from competitive rowing—aged 41 and after 19 international rowing seasons—after winning silver with the men's eight at the 1984 Friendship Games, dubbed the "alternative Olympics".[1]

Skipping meals, heavy smoking and alcohol consumption took a toll on Ludwig's health. He lived in a care facility since the end of 2015. Shortly before he died on 18 May 2016 he had his stomach removed.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wendt, Bärbel. "Klaus-Dieter Ludwig "Lucky" in Memoriam" (in German). Potsdamer Ruder-Gesellschaft e.V. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Klaus-Dieter Ludwig". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  3. ^ "(M4+) Men's Coxed Four - Final". International Rowing Federation. 2 September 1973. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
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