Arthur Schnabel was a heavyweight judoka and sumo wrestler. He won seven West German championships and five international titles at the Europeans from 1976-84, and he won the European Cup in 1983 and 1984. At the 1976 Montréal Olympics Schnabel lost his quarter-final bout against Abdoulaye Djiba from Senegal. At the Moskva Olympics he was not allowed to participate due to the US-led boycott. Four years later in Los Angeles Schnabel won the first West German judo medal in the open class and claimed the bronze medal.
As a sumo wrestler Schnabel also won several titles, including the 1995 and 1997 German titles and three medals at the European Championships. Since 2007, Schnabel claimed several titles at senior judo championships. He died in 2018 after winning the silver medal at Cancún in Mexico, perishing from a heart attack one day later. By profession Schnabel was a trained baker and pastry chef. He owned his own bakery shop in his hometown Mannheim and also owned a gym. In 1984 he was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, the highest German sports award.
West Germany