Horst Freese
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Full name | Horst•Freese |
| Used name | Horst•Freese |
| Born | 30 January 1944 in Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (GER) |
| Measurements | 178 cm / 77 kg |
| Affiliations | Altonaer SV, Hamburg (GER) |
| NOC |  West Germany |
Biography
Speed skater Horst Freese was born near Rostock and fled from East Germany to the West in 1969. He was then barred from international competition for three years by the IOC. Therefore, he was unable to participate in the 1972 Sapporo Winter Games. However, at the 1976 Olympics, he represented West Germany, and finished ninth in the 1,000 metres. Over 500 metres he fell, and was unplaced.
Freese started his sports career as a handball player in the 1950s, and won several national titles with BSG Motor, later renamed SC Empor Rostock. He turned to speed skating in 1958, and won three East German national titles from 1966-68. He was then not selected for international competitions, due to his “West contacts”. Consequently, he then fled to West Berlin in 1969, and added five more West German national titles between 1973-76. By profession, Freese became a machine engineer.
Personal Bests: 500 – 38.7 (1972); 1000 – 1:19.80 (1976); 1500 – 2:07.78 (1974); 5000 – 8:12.4 (1967); 10000 – 17:28.5 (1966).
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | FRG |
Horst Freese | |||
| 500 metres, Men (Olympic) | ||||||
| 1,000 metres, Men (Olympic) | 9 |