East German sports shooter Helmut Artelt finished seventh at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics in free pistol shooting, although he had won the pre-Olympic competition in 1967. In his youth he was an avid boxer and track and field athlete. Artelt later won five East German titles (1968-69, 1971 in free pistol; 1973, 1975 in air pistol). He also won two silver medals with the East German national team at the 1970 Worlds and the 1969 Europeans. From 1966-75 he was on the East German national team. Artelt trained as a welder and steel construction worker and worked at the Trattendorf generating plant.
East Germany