Gerhard Stöck

Gerhard Stöck (July 28, 1911 – March 29, 1985) was a German athlete who competed mainly in the shot put and javelin throw.

Gerhard Stöck represented Germany at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, earning a bronze medal in the shot put and a come-from-behind gold medal in the javelin throw.

In the shot put, Stöck was out performed by fellow German Hans Woellke and Finland's Sulo Bärlund, who won gold and silver medals respectively. Incidentally, Hans Woellke was the first German to win a gold medal in an Olympic track and field event.

Four days later, in the javelin throw, there was a much more dramatic and favorable outcome in store for Gerhard Stöck. After four rounds of throwing, Stöck found himself in fifth place; inspired by Adolf Hitler's arrival to the stadium and the wildly cheering fans, Stöck let fly with a tremendous throw of 71.84 meters to cement his championship.

During the Second World War, Stöck was a Lieutenant in the German Army, and was present at Stalingrad.