Stefan Nimke

Stefan Nimke was a German track cyclist who participated in three consecutive Olympic Games from Sydney 2000 until Beijing 2008. He won the gold medal in the team sprint in 2004, the silver in the individual time trial in 2000, and two bronze medals, in the individual time trial in 2004 and team sprint in 2008. In 2012, Nimke could not start at London due to injuries. At World Championships, he won six gold medals and eight bronze medals, and also won two golds at the Europeans.

Nimke rode with the XXL Erdgas Team from 2000-08 and then with Trackcycling Team Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In total, he won ten German national titles. Nimke was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, Germany’s highest sports award, and was inducted into the European Cycling Hall of Fame.

In 2016, Nimke participated in the Paralympics at Rio de Janeiro as a sighted guide helping the visually impaired Kai Kruse as a pilot on the tandem in the 1000 meters time trial. They won the bronze medal. Nimke became the first German sportsman to win medals at both the Olympics and the Paralympics. By profession, he became a policeman and engaged in local politics with the right-winged party CDU.