Heike Friedrich | |
Nationality: | East German |
Birth Date: | 18 April 1970 |
Birth Place: | Karl-Marx-Stadt, East Germany |
Height: | 1.73 m |
Weight: | 63 kg |
Club: | SC Karl-Marx-Stadt |
Strokes: | Freestyle |
Heike Friedrich (born 18 April 1970 in Karl-Marx-Stadt, Saxony) is a former freestyle swimmer from East Germany, who won two medals at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
At the age of 15, Friedrich won five gold medals in the 1985 European championships and won four more in the World Championship the next year. She had not lost in a single major international championship in any event until she was defeated by Janet Evans in the 400 m in the Seoul Olympics, taking the silver medal. Friedrich had already won the gold medal in the 200 m freestyle on the previous day.[1]
In October 1986, she was awarded a Star of People's Friendship in gold (second class) for her sporting success.[2]