Despite the changes over the years, they've been along for the ride since the first modern day Olympics of 1896. For the 1956, 1960 and 1964 summer Olympics, East and West Germany competed as a unified team in both the summer and winter Olympics. At Mexico City in 1968, both East and West Germany competed as separate nations until Seoul 1988. At Barcelona in 1992, Germany was once again competing as a whole nation.
Throughout the years, Germany has garnered a total of 684 medals as a whole country in the summer Olympics. 202 of the 684 medals won by German athletes in the summer Olympics were gold medals.
Individually, the most gold medals won by a summer Olympian from Germany is Birgit Fischer (Schmidt) (pictured). In her Olympic appearances, the canoer won eight gold medals. She won 500m kayak singles gold at Moscow 1980 and Seoul 1988 (with East Germany) as well as at Barcelona 1992. She also scored 500m kayak doubles gold at Seoul 1988 (again, with East Germany) and at Sydney 2000. She also won three gold medals in the 500m kayak fours at Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.
The late Reiner Klimke won six gold medals, all in the mixed dressage portion of equestrian. He won individual mixed dressage at Los Angeles 1984 (with West Germany) while the rest were in team mixed dressage at Tokyo 1964, and at Mexico City 1968, Montreal 1976, Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988 with West Germany.
Two German athletes in the summer Olympics won five gold medals each-Equestrian riders Hans Guter Winkler and Isabell Wirth. Winkler won four individual team mixed jumping golds-at Stockholm 1956, Rome 1960, and Tokyo 1964, and at Munich 1972 (with West Germany). He also won individual mixed dressage gold at Stockholm 1956. Wirth won four team mixed dressage golds-at Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Beijing 2008. She also won individual mixed dressage gold at Atlanta 1996.
Five German athletes have won four golds each:
- Carl Schuhmann (wrestling, gymnastics)
- Nicole Uphoff Becker (equestrian)
- Ludger Beerbaum (equestrian)
- Kathrin Boron (rowing)
- Katrin Wagner Augusting (canoeing)
Fourteen German athletes have won three golds each:
- Hermann Weingartner (gymnastics)
- Alfred Flatow (gymnastics)
- Konrad Frey (gymnastics)
- Alfred Schwarzmann (gymnastics)
- Ingrid Gulbin Engel Kramer (diving)
- Kay Bluhm (canoeing)
- Torsten Gutsche (canoeing)
- Anke Nothnagel von Seck (canoeing)
- Ramona Portwich (canoeing)
- Jens Fiedler (cycling)
- Ralf Schumann (shooting)
- Monica Theodorescu (equestrian)
- Andreas Dittmer (canoeing)
- Jochen Schumann (sailing)
More than 50 German athletes have won 2 gold medals in the summer Olympics. Most notably is Britta Steffen (pictured), who won two freestyle finals in the pool at Beijing 2008-in the 100m freestyle and in the 50m freestyle, where she beat-of all people-a heavily favored Dara Torres.
At the team level, Germany won gold in men's water polo at Amsterdam 1928. Men's handball scored gold in their own backyard at Berlin 1936. Men's and women's (field) hockey also scored gold as well. The men's hockey team won gold at Barcelona 1992, while the women claimed gold at Athens 2004.
Germany was the host country of two summer Olympic games-Berlin 1936 and Munich 1972.
As of now, 271 Germans will be participating in 17 events including swimming and athletics events, as well as cycling, taekwondo, weightlifting, wrestling and boxing. Men's and women's (field) hockey has qualified for the games as well.
Up next: Ghana
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