Field hockey player Michael Hilgers participated in two consecutive Olympic Games. Representing West Germany, he won the silver medal at Seoul in 1988, after losing to Great Britain 3-1 in the final. At Barcelona in 1992, the now re-unified German team won the final against Australia 2-1, and took the gold medal with Hilgers scoring both German goals. Therefore, the team and all players were awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, Germany’s highest sports award.
Hilgers won 162 international caps (including 27 indoor) between 1984-93. He was European Champion in 1991 and won the Champions Trophy 1986-88. Domestically, Hilgers played with Mönchengladbacher HTC, winning the German Championship in 1981 and the indoor title in 1988. He later turned to coaching and became CEO of Mönchengladbach Hockey Park, and also organised several open-air rock concerts, and the Field Hockey World Championships in 2006.
Germany 
West Germany