Hans Günter Winkler

Hans Günter Winkler (born 24 July 1926) is a retired German show jumping rider. He was born in Barmen – now part of Wuppertal. He is the only show jumper to win five Olympic gold medals and seven total Olympic medals, and the only equestrian in any discipline to compete and win medals in six different Olympic Games.

Contents

• Hans g nter winkler on halla winning the olympic gold in stockholm 1956
• Equestrian jumping s record man hans g nter winkler olympic records
• Major achievements
• Literature
• References

In the 1950s and 1960s Winkler was one of Germany's most popular athletes. He won his first German championship in 1952, making him one of the favorites for the Olympic Games 1956. 1956 found the Equestrian Games in Stockholm, as the athletes and their horses were not allowed to travel to Melbourne due to quarantine restrictions. In the first round, Winkler pulled a groin muscle at the penultimate obstacle, after his mare took off early and threw him out of position. Despite the pain, Winkler decided to ride in the third round, as the German team would be eliminated without him. After he was given tranquilizers, Winkler found that he was comfortable sitting, but riding was difficult and painful. Any drugs that could reduce the pain enough to make him comfortable in the saddle would also reduce his mental capacity, and therefore he was only given black coffee before his ride to try to help reduce his dizziness and double-vision. His great mare, Halla, sensed that her rider was not right, and performed the entire course clear with only steering from Winkler, and their performance won them the individual gold.

Winkler won five gold medals in jumping (in addition to the four individual medals with the German team) between 1956 and 1976, and a silver medal. He is one of the most successful German Olympic athletes, second only to Reiner Klimke for gold medals produced in German equestrian competition. He was athlete of the year in 1955 and 1956. In 1986, Winkler retired from active competition. He later published numerous books on riding and founded in 1991 the HGW-Marketinggesellschaft, a sports marketing firm that has helped produce various equestrian competitions. He was also a member of the German Equestrian Federation's Jumping Committee, and helped to select the 2000 Olympic Team for Germany. Winkler also received the Federal Cross of Merit, and the media award Bambi and the 2002 award as weltbester jumping at the Olympic Games.