Gabriele Reinsch

Gabriele Reinsch (September 23, 1963 in Cottbus) is a German track and field athlete. She represented East Germany in the Olympic games in the discus throw.

On July 9, 1988 at the East Germany - Italy tournament in Neubrandenburg she set a new world record with a throw of 76.80 meters. This was 2.24 meters further than the previous record, set by the Czechoslovakian Zdenka Šilhavá, and 2.72 meters futher than the world record for men (who throw a discus weighing twice as much) set by Jürgen Schult (DDR) 6 June 1986. Reinsch's record still stands (as of the 2008 season) (the East German Martina Hellmann had in fact thrown 76.92 meters and 78.14 meters, both on September 6, 1988 but these came in an unofficial event and could not be counted as the world record.)

Reinsch began competing at the age of 14 and tried at first the high jump and shot put, even placing second in the shot put at the 1981 junior European championships. In 1982 she switched to the discus.

During the course of her world record setting season, she bettered her personal best by 9.62 meters, from 67.18 meters, (her personal best in 1987) to the record setting 76.80 meters.

International highlights

*1981, Junior European championship: 2nd place in shot put (16.70 - 15.90 - 15.31 - 16.53 - 17.03 - 16.37)
*1987, Universiade: 2nd place (64.12 m)
*1988, Summer Olympics: 7th place in the discus (67.26 - 66.50 - 63.30 - 65.88 - 66.40 - DQ)
*1990, European championship: 4th place in the discus (DQ - 63.46 - 64.30 - DQ - 66.08 - 65.06)

Reinsch belonged to the Cottbus sport club until 1985 and then from 1986 to the ASK Potsdam. She trained with Lothar Hillebrand. During her competitive years she was 1.84 meters tall and weighed 88 kilograms.