Rica Reinisch
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Full name | Rica•Reinisch (-Assmann, -Neumann) |
| Used name | Rica•Reinisch |
| Born | 6 April 1965 in Seifhennersdorf, Sachsen (GER) |
| Measurements | 178 cm / 66 kg |
| Affiliations | SC Einheit Dresden, Dresden (GER) |
| NOC |  East Germany |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 3 |
| Silver | 0 |
| Bronze | 0 |
| Total | 3 |
Biography
Rica Reinisch started to swim at the early age of 8. At the 1980 Olympic Games she won three gold medals and was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame nine years later. In 1982 she collapsed at a training camp in Ukraine as a result of an inflammation of the ovaries and had to give up competitive swimming.
Reinisch later married her teammate Olaf Assmann, and in her second marriage a canoeist named Neumann. She later moved to Aachen, managed a public relation agency and raised two children, having had two abortive births – possibly related to her earlier doping history. Briefly she became marketing director at football (soccer) club Alemannia Aachen.
Like many other GDR swimmers she was systematically doped by her coaches as instructed by GDR State Security, the Stasi. Unlike many of her teammates she testified against sports officials such as Manfred Ewald (former president of the East German NOC) and Manfred Höppner (former head of the GDR Sports Medicine Service) in their 2000 trial.
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 Summer Olympics | Swimming (Aquatics) | GDR |
Rica Reinisch | |||
| 100 metres Backstroke, Women (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| 200 metres Backstroke, Women (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| 4 × 100 metres Medley Relay, Women (Olympic) | East Germany | 1 | Gold |
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a European Record in Long Course Swimming (100 m backstroke – 20 July 1980 - 24 August 1984: 1:01.51 tied (20 July 1980; Moskva, URS), 1:01.50 (22 July 1980; Moskva, URS), 1:00.86 (23 July 1980; Moskva, URS); 200 m backstroke – 27 July 1980 - 7 August 1982: 2:11.77 (27 July 1980; Moskva, URS); 4×100 m medley relay – 20 July 1980 - 7 August 1982: 4:06.67 (20 July 1980; Moskva, URS))
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a World Record in Long Course Swimming (100 m backstroke – 20 July 1980 - 24 August 1984: 1:01.51 tied (20 July 1980; Moskva, URS), 1:01.50 (22 July 1980; Moskva, URS), 1:00.86 (23 July 1980; Moskva, URS); 200 m backstroke – 27 July 1980 - 8 August 1982: 2:11.77 (27 July 1980; Moskva, URS); 4×100 m medley relay – 20 July 1980 - 6 August 1982: 4:06.67 (20 July 1980; Moskva, URS))
- Listed in Olympic Swimmers - Doubles Champions, Same Year (1980 100/200 Backstroke Champion.)