Imke Duplitzer

German fencer Imke Duplitzer participated in four consecutive Olympics from 2000 at Sydney until 2012 at London. She won the team silver medal in 2004 at Athens. Individually she came fifth at both the 2004 and 2008 Games as her best results. At World Championships, Duplitzer won six silver and six bronze medals, with the individual silver in 2002 being the highlight of her career. In 1999 and 2010 she also won individual gold medals at the Europeans, and won a team gold in 1998, and a team bronze in 2006. In 1997 and 1999 she also won the Military World Championships.

Duplitzer won the national title seven times in 1999-2002, 2004, 2006, and 2010. She was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, Germany’s highest sports award. Duplitzer came out as a lesbian at a young age. She was always considered uncomfortable, but fundamentally honest. At the 2008 Beijing Games, she was vocal about China’s human rights abuses and the IOC’s ignorance of them. She received a lot of criticism for this, but also praise. From 2011-13 Duplitzer was president of her fencing club OFC Bonn.