Günter Zöller Explained

Günter Zöller
Country:East Germany
Birth Date:21 May 1948
Birth Place:Chemnitz, Saxony, Germany
Formercoach:Jutta Müller
Former Skating Club:SC Karl-Marx-Stadt
Formertraininglocations:Karl-Marx-Stadt
Retired:1972
Show-Medals:yes

Günter Zöller (born 21 May 1948) is a German figure skating coach and former competitor for East Germany. He is the 1970 World bronze medalist, the 1970 European bronze medalist, a five-time Blue Swords champion, and a five-time East German national champion.

Personal life

Günter Zöller was born 21 May 1948 in Chemnitz.

Career

Zöller began figure skating as a child. Coached by Jutta Müller, he represented the club SC Karl-Marx-Stadt and East Germany.

Zöller debuted at the European Championships in 1963 and finished 19th. In 1965, he won his first East German national title and was sent to the 1965 European Championships, where he placed 12th. He then competed at his first World Championships, placing 18th.

In 1967, after winning his second national title, Zöller advanced to seventh at Europeans and 11th at Worlds. He was sent to the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble and finished 11th.

The 1969–70 season was Zöller's most successful. After winning his fifth national title, he was awarded bronze medals at the 1970 European Championships in Leningrad and the 1970 World Championships in Ljubljana. An injury kept him out of competition the following season.

Zöller traveled with the East German team to the 1972 European Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden but did not compete, choosing to defect before the start of the event. On 10 January 1972, he obtained an alien's passport at the West German embassy in Sweden and boarded a ferry to Kiel. He coached in Ludwigshafen before relocating to Mannheim in 1974. His former students include Claudia Leistner, Rudi Cerne, Stefan Pfrengle, Manuela Ruben, Petra Ernert, and Nathalie Weinzierl.

Results

International
Event63–6464–6565–6666–6767–6868–6969–7071–72
align=left 11th
align=left 18th 11th 11th 7th bgcolor=cc9966 3rd
align=left 19th 12th 7th 8th 4th bgcolor=cc9966 3rd WD
align=left bgcolor=silver 2nd 4th
align=left bgcolor=silver 2nd
align=left bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=gold 1st
National
align=left bgcolor=silver 2nd bgcolor=silver 2nd bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=gold 1st
WD: Withdrew

References