Jürgen Thiel

As the East German water polo national team won the inter-national qualifying match in 1964 against the West German national team, with a 3-1 win in Magdeburg and a 1-1 tie in Wuppertal, the German Olympic team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics was an East German one that finished sixth. The team was coached by Rolf Bastel.

Jürgen Thiel from SC Aufbau Magdeburg was among the world’s best water polo players in the 1960s. He was runner-up with East Germany at the 1966 Europeans. In 1968 he returned to the Olympic Games at Mexico City, then representing East Germany as their captain. The team also finished sixth, again coached by Rolf Bastel.

In 1968 the DTSB (East German Gymnastics and Sports Association) ended national support for water polo, field hockey, basketball, and some other sports. Participation in international competitions in the capitalist world was forbidden, training sessions me forbidden. Indoor times and training sessions were cancelled. From then on no more water polo activities were allowed in Magdeburg.