Michael Wessing

Michael Wessing
Personal information
Full nameMichael Thomas Maria Wessing
Nationality Germany
Born(1952-08-29)29 August 1952
Recklinghausen, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany
Died7 May 2019(2019-05-07) (aged 66)
Height1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight88 kg (194 lb)
Sport
Country West Germany
SportAthletics
EventJavelin throw
ClubTV Wattenscheid
Achievements and titles
Personal best94.22 m (1978)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  West Germany
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1978 Prague Javelin throw

Michael Thomas Maria Wessing (29 August 1952 – 7 May 2019) was a German javelin thrower.

He finished fourteenth at the 1974 European Championships, won the gold medal at the 1978 European Championships and finished ninth at the 1976 Summer Olympics.[1] Representing the sports team TV Wattenscheid, he became West German champion six years in a row in the years 1975 to 1980.[2]

His personal best throw was 94.22 metres (with the old javelin type), achieved on 3 August 1978 in Oslo. It was the best throw in the world that year, and at the time second overall only to Miklós Németh's 1976 world record of 94.58. When new javelin design rules came into force in April 1986, Wessing still stood as the eighth-best performer worldwide; in Germany only Uwe Hohn and Detlef Michel, both from East Germany, had longer throws.[3]

He died on 7 May 2019, at the age of 66, due to complications from surgery.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Michael Wessing". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016. Full name: Michael Thomas Maria Wessing
  2. ^ German championships - men's javelin throw
  3. ^ ""Ewige" Bestenliste der deutschen Leichtathletik" ["Eternal" list of the best in German athletics] (PDF). leichtathletik.de (in German). Deutscher Leichtathletik-Verband. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2007.
  4. ^ Trauer um Speerwerfer Wessing (in German)
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