Ilke Wyludda: Mourning for the Olympic champion from Halle (Saale)

Ilke Wyludda: Mourning for the Olympic champion from Halle (Saale)

Halle (Saale)-A shocking loss for the sports world: The legendary disco thrower Ilke Wyludda died at the age of only 55! The Olympic champion of Atlanta in 1996 died on Sunday in Halle/Saale from the consequences of a serious illness, such as Silke Renk, President of the State Sports Association of Saxony-Anhalt and former training colleague. "The news is hard and terrible and makes me stunned," said Renk, who reflects the grief of the entire German throwing community. Wyludda, who was known as a fighter, unfortunately lost her last fight much too early.

Ilke Wyludda, born in Leipzig, began her impressive career in athletics at a young age. In 1985 she won the title at the Junior European Championships in discus throwing and achieved silver in shot put. From 1989 she dominated the world leaders in the discus throw and celebrated numerous successes, including the European Championship titles in 1990 and 1994 and the 1996 Olympic victory in Atlanta. After a long injury break, she tried a comeback that was not successful.

A life full of challenges

After her active career, Wyludda turned to therapy rehabilitation and the sports sport. She became a physiotherapist, studied medicine and worked as an anesthetist. Tragically, a bacterial wound infection in 2010 led to the amputation of its right lower leg. But Wyludda did not give up and entered the Paralympic sport. At the Paralympics 2012, she finished fifth in the shot put and won silver in the 2015 World Cup and at the 2014 Silver in the shot put and bronze in the discus throw. In 2017 she officially ended her impressive athlete career.