Franz-Peter Hofmeister

Franz-Peter Hofmeister, 400 metre runner, earned a bronze medal with the 4x400 relay at the 1976 Montréal Olympics, where he was also eliminated in the semifinals of the 400. He was nominated for the 1980 Moskva Games but due to the US-led boycott could not start there. In 1977 he won the World Cup with the relay and was 1978 European Champion in the 4x400, and placed fifth in the 400. Two years later he was runner-up in the relay with the European team and placed fourth in the 400. At the European Championships he won gold in the 400 in 1971 and silver in the 200 and with the 4x400 relay in 1978. Domestically he won nine outdoor and eight indoor titles, adding several runner-ups.

Hofmeister later married non-Olympian and discus thrower Gundula Matysiak. He was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf in 1976, the Rudolf-Harbig-Gedächtnispreis (Memorial Award) in 1980, and the Sports Badge of North Rhine Westfalia in 1983. He studied business administration at the University of Köln (Cologne) and then worked with Bayer Leverkusen. His focus was business organization in the Central Board of the Bayer AG.

Personal Best: 400 – 45.12 (1979).