Andreas Schnieders

Andreas Schnieders was a West German boxer who lost his super-heavyweight bout at the 1988 Seoul Olympics in the quarter-finals against Poland’s Janusz Zarenkiewicz by a 3-2 decision, and was therefore placed fifth. From 1987-92, Schnieders won six consecutive national titles. In 1991, he won a silver medal at the European Championships.

Nicknamed “Drago”, because of his resemblance to the actor Dolph Lundgren, based on his character Drago in the film Rocky IV, Schnieders was initially banned from boxing for life in 1992 after cysts were found on the membrane protecting his brain following a neurological examination. He was able to have the ban lifted, however, with an appropriate certificate.

He was then selected for the Barcelona Olympics, but shortly before the Games lost a bout by KO and was suspended for four weeks. Schnieders never turned professional, and later worked as a security guard at a nuclear power plant.