Heinz-Ulrich Walther

Heinz-Ulrich Walther (born 11 March 1943) is a German former pair skater who represented East Germany and the United Team of Germany in competition. With Heidemarie Steiner, he is the 1970 World bronze medalist and a three-time European bronze medalist (1967–68, 1970). Walther competed at two Winter Olympics, placing 11th in 1964 with Brigitte Wokoeck and fourth with Steiner in 1968.

Heinz-Ulrich Walther
Heinz-Ulrich Walther in 1963
Born (1943-03-11) 11 March 1943
Stendal, Province of Saxony, Prussia, Germany
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Figure skating career
CountryEast Germany
United Team of Germany
Retired1970
Medal record
Representing  East Germany
Figure skating: Pairs
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1970 LjubljanaPairs
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1970 LeningradPairs
Bronze medal – third place 1968 VästeråsPairs
Bronze medal – third place 1967 LjubljanaPairs

Skating career

Heinz-Ulrich Walther teamed up Brigitte Wokoeck by around 1959 and represented the club SC Dynamo Berlin. The pair won the 1963 Blue Swords and two East German national titles, in 1962 and 1964. Representing the United Team of Germany, they placed 11th at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck. It was their final competition together.

Walther formed a partnership with Heidemarie Steiner by around 1965. Coached by Heinz-Friedrich Lindner, they represented SC Dynamo Berlin. The pair won the bronze medal at the 1967 European Championships in Ljubljana and repeated the following year at the 1968 European Championships in Västerås. They were selected to represent East Germany at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble and placed fourth. After obtaining their third European bronze medal at the 1970 European Championships in Leningrad, the pair concluded their competitive career with a World bronze medal, at the 1970 World Championships in Ljubljana.

Walther has worked as an international figure skating judge and ISU technical controller for pair skating.

Personal life

Walther married Heidemarie Steiner in 1969. He studied medicine and worked at the Charité in Berlin. He was an academic employee in the orthopaedics department at the Center for Complementary Medicine Research – CCM.

Competitive highlights

With Steiner
Steiner and Walther in 1969
International
Event 65–66 66–67 67–68 68–69 69–70
Winter Olympics4th
World Champ.9th5th5th5th3rd
European Champ.8th3rd3rd4th3rd
Prague Skate3rd
National
East Germany1st1st2nd1st1st

With Wokoeck
International
Event 59–60 60–61 61–62 62–63 63–64
Winter Olympics11th
European Champ.6th8th
Blue Swords1st
National
East German Champ.3rd1st3rd1st

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Heinz-Ulrich Walther.
    • Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Heinz-Ulrich Walther". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2012-10-20.
    • personal interview
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