Klaus Lehnertz

Pole vaulter Klaus Lehnertz won a totally surprising bronze medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. His bronze medal was the first one for an Olympian from North Hessia. At European Championships Lehnertz placed 13th in 1962 and 9th in 1966, and at the European Cups he was second in 1965 and third in 1967. Domestically he won West German titles in 1959-61 and 1966-68, and indoors in 1959, 1960 and 1964.

Lehnertz was educated as a graduate sports and skiing teacher. From 1973 he taught at the University of Kassel, and in 1985 he was habilitated, teaching kinesiology and coaching until 2003. In later years, the focus of his research was the theory of the golf swing. In 1972 he was part of the athletics jury with special orders from the IAAF. In 1964 he was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf and in 1967 the Rudolf-Harbig-Gedächtnispreis (Memorial Award).

Personal Best: PV – 5.10 (1967).