Swiss rower and bobsledder (1932–1964)
Gottfried Kottmann
Birth name Gottfried Kottmann Born 15 October 1932Zürich Died 6 November 1964(1964-11-06) (aged 32)Rüdlingen Sport Rowing Bobsledding Club Belvoir RC,
Gottfried "Göpf " Kottmann (15 October 1932 – 6 November 1964) was a Swiss rower and bobsledder who competed from the mid-1950s until his death by drowning shortly after his second Olympic appearance in 1964.
Biography
Kottmann, born 1932 in Zürich , started rowing aged 13 with Belvoir Ruderclub in his home city.[ 1] For several years, he rowed with Rolf Streuli and various coxswains in the coxed pair event. They won the European Rowing Championships in 1954 in Amsterdam , in 1955 in Ghent , and came second in 1956 in Bled .[ 2] They had qualified for the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne but Switzerland was one of four countries to boycott the Games over the Soviet invasion of Hungary .[ 1] At the 1958 European Rowing Championships in Poznań , Kottmann and Streuli won bronze.[ 2]
At the 1959 European Rowing Championships in Mâcon , Kottmann won a gold medal in the coxless four event.[ 3] Two of the four rowers remained part of the coxless four that went to the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, where they came sixth.[ 4]
Kottmann won a bronze medal in the four-man bobsleigh event at the 1960 FIBT World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo.[ 5]
In 1963, Kottmann won the Diamond Challenge Sculls (the premier singles sculls event) at the Henley Royal Regatta , rowing for Belvoir RC.[ 6]
At the 1964 European Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, he competed in single sculls and came in sixth place.[ 7] Two months later competing at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo , he won a bronze medal in the single sculls event.[ 1]
He drowned in the Rhine at Rüdlingen while taking part in a military exercise as a diver.[ 1]
References
^ a b c d Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill ; et al. "Göpf Kottmann" . Olympics at Sports-Reference.com . Sports Reference LLC . Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2018 .
^ a b Heckert, Karlheinz. "Rudern – Europameisterschaften (Herren – Zweier m. Stm.)" (in German). Sport Komplett. Retrieved 24 February 2018 .
^ Heckert, Karlheinz. "Rudern – Europameisterschaften (Herren – Vierer o.Stm.)" (in German). Sport Komplett. Retrieved 25 February 2018 .
^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill ; et al. "Switzerland Rowing at the 1960 Roma Summer Games" . Olympics at Sports-Reference.com . Sports Reference LLC . Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2018 .
^ Bobsleigh four-man world championship medalists since 1930
^ "Diamond Challenge Sculls, List of past winners" . Henley Royal Regatta . Retrieved 5 August 2024 .
^ "Bergau/Gorny Europameister im Zweier m. St. in Amsterdam" . Neues Deutschland (in German). Vol. 19, no. 219. 10 August 1964. p. 3. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018 .