Birgit Fischer

Birgit Fischer

Fischer in 2010
Personal information
Nationality	German
Born	Brandenburg an der Havel, East Germany
Died
Height
Weight
Sport
Sport	Canoe sprint
Medal record Women's canoe sprint Olympic Games File:Olympic rings.svg Representing Gold medal – first place 1980 Moscow K-1 500 m Gold medal – first place 1988 Seoul K-2 500 m Gold medal – first place 1988 Seoul K-4 500 m 1988 Seoul K-1 500 m Representing Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona K-1 500 m Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta K-4 500 m Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney K-2 500 m Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney K-4 500 m Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens K-4 500 m 1992 Barcelona K-4 500 m 1996 Atlanta K-2 500 m 2004 Athens K-2 500 m World Championships Representing Gold medal – first place 1978 Belgrade K-4 500 m Gold medal – first place 1979 Duisburg K-4 500 m Gold medal – first place 1981 Nottingham K-1 500 m Gold medal – first place 1981 Nottingham K-2 500 m Gold medal – first place 1981 Nottingham K-4 500 m Gold medal – first place 1982 Belgrade K-1 500 m Gold medal – first place 1982 Belgrade K-2 500 m Gold medal – first place 1982 Belgrade K-4 500 m Gold medal – first place 1983 Tampere K-1 500 m Gold medal – first place 1983 Tampere K-2 500 m Gold medal – first place 1983 Tampere K-4 500 m Gold medal – first place 1985 Mechelen K-1 500 m Gold medal – first place 1985 Mechelen K-2 500 m Gold medal – first place 1985 Mechelen K-4 500 m Gold medal – first place 1987 Duisburg K-1 500 m Gold medal – first place 1987 Duisburg K-2 500 m Gold medal – first place 1987 Duisburg K-4 500 m Representing Gold medal – first place 1993 Copenhagen K-1 500 m Gold medal – first place 1993 Copenhagen K-4 500 m Gold medal – first place 1994 Mexico City K-1 500 m Gold medal – first place 1994 Mexico City K-4 500 m Gold medal – first place 1995 Duisburg K-4 500 m Gold medal – first place 1997 Dartmouth K-2 200 m Gold medal – first place 1997 Dartmouth K-2 500 m Gold medal – first place 1997 Dartmouth K-2 1000 m Gold medal – first place 1997 Dartmouth K-4 200 m Gold medal – first place 1997 Dartmouth K-4 500 m Gold medal – first place 1998 Szeged K-4 500 m 1994 Mexico City K-2 200 m 1994 Mexico City K-4 200 m 1995 Duisburg K-4 200 m 1998 Szeged K-2 500 m 1998 Szeged K-2 1000 m 1999 Milan K-4 500 m 1993 Copenhagen K-1 5000 m 1994 Mexico City K-2 500 m 2005 Zagreb K-2 200 m 2005 Zagreb K-4 1000 m

Birgit Fischer (; born 25 February 1962) is a German former kayaker, who has won eight gold medals over six different Olympic Games, a record she shares with Aladár Gerevich and Isabell Werth, spanning seven Olympiads: twice representing East Germany (interrupted by the boycott of 1984), then four times representing the reunited nation. After both the 1988 and 2000 games, she announced her retirement, only to return for the subsequent games. She has been both the youngest- and oldest-ever Olympic canoeing champion (ages 18 and 42). In 2004, she was chosen as the German sportswoman of the year.

Fischer was born in Brandenburg an der Havel, then in East Germany. She attended an ASK (army sports club) boarding school in Potsdam, and worked as a sports instructor in the National People's Army, attaining a rank of major by the time of German reunification in 1990. She was married from 1984 to 1993 to canoeist Jörg Schmidt, silver medalist in the C-1 1000 m event at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. She lives with their two children in Brandenburg. In 1999 she stood unsuccessfully as a candidate for the FDP in the European Parliament election. Fischer's niece, Fanny, competed for Germany at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, winning a gold in the K-4 500 m event. Fischer's brother Frank won nine world championship medals between 1981 and 1986.

She also won 38 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships medals between 1978 and 2005, including 28 golds. Fischer's career medal count was surpassed by Hungary's Katalin Kovács at the 2011 championships in Szeged.

Fischer is also a photographer and displays works through the Art of the Olympians.

See also

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event
• List of multiple Olympic medalists
• List of multiple Summer Olympic medalists
• List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games

References

• Fotographie by Birgit Fischer Template:In lang
• Kamber, Raymond, ed. (2008). "Medal Winners – Olympic Games and World Championships (1936–2007)" (PDF). CanoeICF.com. International Canoe Federation. pp. 1–83. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 May 2018.
• Official website Template:In lang