Dietmar Schauerhammer celebrates 70 years: A life between sport and music!

Dietmar Schauerhammer celebrates 70 years: A life between sport and music!

On August 12, 2025, Dietmar Schauerhammer, the former bobsleigh athlete and then champion of the GDR, will celebrate his 70th birthday. The celebrations take place with his family at his twin brother's home near Camburg, where he can look back on an eventful life. InSouth Thuringia reports about his impressive career and the recent honors he has received.

This week Schauerhammer was also entered in the Golden Book of the city of Suhl for his services. This is a well-deserved recognition for an athlete who not only shone through his successes on the slopes, but also through his years of work as area manager of the Benz gymnastics equipment factory, where he worked for almost 30 years.

From athletics to bobsleigh

It may perhaps come as a surprise, but Dietmar Schauerhammer began his sporting career not with bobsleigh, but in the decathlon. He started his competitive activities and qualified for the 1978 European Championships, where he finished 14th. However, his successes in all-around competition and bobsleigh are undisputed. Between 1976 and 1980 he secured several titles as East German indoor champion in the pentathlon and in 1977 he was third outdoors in the decathlon.

After failing to qualify for the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, he switched to bobsleigh. This turned out to be the right decision: in 1984 he won the gold medal in both disciplines, the two-man and four-man bobsleigh, at the Olympic Games in Sarajevo. In this legendary competition he trained under the guidance of pilot Wolfgang Hoppe.

Former athlete with new passions

After his active career, Schauerhammer became involved in the sporting goods industry and turned down an offer as German national coach. Today he devotes more time to his hobbies, especially making music. With his guitar and his desire to learn the Thuringian forest zither and harmonica, he finds joy and exchange with like-minded people.

His lifesaver is music, which helps him maintain joy in life. Schauerhammer, whose name was unfortunately sullied by doping-related revelations in the follow-up to the GDR story, now seems to be focusing on the positive aspects of his life. His honors and the joy of music underline the fact that athletes can find new happiness even after their active career. Olympia offers a detailed overview of his sporting successes.

For Dietmar Schauerhammer, one thing is certain: life is an exciting competition, and despite all the obstacles, he has achieved the goal of being happy and pursuing his passions.