View source for Mark Kirchner

{{Short description|German biathlete (born 1970)}}
{{for|the American football player|Mark Kirchner (American football)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{expand German|topic=bio|date=April 2022|Mark Kirchner (Biathlet)}}
{{Infobox biathlete <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Biathlon -->
| name              = Mark Kirchner
| image             = Porträts bei der Olympia-Einkleidung München 2018 (Martin Rulsch) 40.jpg
| image_size        = 
| alt               = 
| caption           = 
| fullname          = Mark Kirchner
| nickname          = 
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1970|4|4}}
| birth_place       = [[Neuhaus am Rennweg]], [[Thuringia]], [[East Germany]]
| death_date        = 
| death_place       = 
| residence         = 
| occupation        = 
| height            = {{height|m=1.78|precision=0}}
| weight            = 
| website           = 
| disciplines       = [[Biathlon]]
| club              = 
| skis              = 
| rifle             = 
| wcdebut           = 14 December 1989
| retired           = 
| olympicteams      = '''2''' ([[Biathlon at the 1992 Winter Olympics|1992]], [[Biathlon at the 1994 Winter Olympics|1994]])
| olympicmedals     = '''4'''
| olympicgolds      = 3
| worldsteams       = '''6''' ([[Biathlon World Championships 1990|1990]], [[Biathlon World Championships 1991|1991]], [[Biathlon World Championships 1993|1993]], [[Biathlon World Championships 1995|1995]], [[Biathlon World Championships 1996|1996]], [[Biathlon World Championships 1997|1997]])
| worldsmedals      = '''10'''
| worldsgolds       = 7
| wcseasons         = '''9''' (1989/90–1997/98)
| wcraces           = 
| wcraceswithrelays = 
| wcwins            = '''7'''
| wcrelayswins      = 
| wcpodiums         = '''12'''
| wcrelayspodiums   = 
| wcoveralls        = 
| wctitles          = '''1:'''<br />'''1 Individual''' (1990–91)
| show-medals       = 
| updated           = 
| medaltemplates    = 
{{MedalSport | Men's [[biathlon]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{GER}}}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Biathlon at the Winter Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[Biathlon at the 1992 Winter Olympics|1992 Albertville]]|[[Biathlon at the 1992 Winter Olympics – Men's relay|4 × 7.5 km relay]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[Biathlon at the 1992 Winter Olympics|1992 Albertville]]|[[Biathlon at the 1992 Winter Olympics – Men's sprint|10 km sprint]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[Biathlon at the 1994 Winter Olympics|1994 Lillehammer]]|[[Biathlon at the 1994 Winter Olympics – Men's relay|4 × 7.5 km relay]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[Biathlon at the 1992 Winter Olympics|1992 Albertville]]|[[Biathlon at the 1992 Winter Olympics – Men's individual|20 km individual]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Biathlon World Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold |[[Biathlon World Championships 1991|1991 Lahti]] | {{nowrap|20 km individual}}}}
{{MedalGold |[[Biathlon World Championships 1991|1991 Lahti]] | 10 km sprint}}
{{MedalGold |[[Biathlon World Championships 1991|1991 Lahti]] | 4 × 7.5 km relay}}
{{MedalGold |[[Biathlon World Championships 1993|1993 Borovets]] | 10 km sprint}}
{{MedalGold |[[Biathlon World Championships 1995|{{nowrap|1995 Antholz-Anterselva}}]] | 4 × 7.5 km relay}}
{{MedalSilver |[[Biathlon World Championships 1997|1997 Brezno-Osrblie]] | Team event}}
{{MedalBronze |[[Biathlon World Championships 1993|1993 Borovets]] | 4 × 7.5 km relay}}
{{MedalCountry | {{GDR}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Biathlon World Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold |[[Biathlon World Championships 1990|1990 Oslo]] | 10 km sprint}}
{{MedalGold |[[Biathlon World Championships 1990|1990 Oslo]] | Team event}}
{{MedalBronze |[[Biathlon World Championships 1990|1990 Kontiolahti]] | 4 × 7.5 km relay}}
}}

'''Mark Kirchner''' (born 4 April 1970) is a German former [[Biathlon|biathlete]].

==Life and career==
Kirchner won gold in the 10&nbsp;km sprint at the [[Albertville]] Olympics in 1992 and followed that up by taking silver in the 20&nbsp;km individual and gold in the relay.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://data.biathlonworld.com/data/archives.aspx?IbuId=BTGER10404197001 | title = PROFILE - MARK KIRCHNER (GER) | publisher = International Biathlon Union | access-date = 8 March 2015 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230601/http://data.biathlonworld.com/data/archives.aspx?IbuId=BTGER10404197001 | archive-date = 3 March 2016 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> An out-of-the-blue win by [[Eugeni Redkine]] of the Unified Team in the 20&nbsp;km individual prevented him taking honours as the absolute champion of these Games.

In 1994 in [[Lillehammer]], he was his country's flag bearer and was part of the gold-medal winning relay team. He was the youngest ever triple Olympic Champion in biathlon, at the age of just 23 years and 10 month.

Kirchner came second in the overall World Cup standings twice, behind [[Sergei Tchepikov]] of the USSR in the 1990–91 season and behind [[Mikael Löfgren]] of Sweden in 1992–93.

In addition Kirchner became [[Biathlon World Championships|World Champion]] multiple times.

He retired relatively early, at the age of 28, in 1998.

Subsequently, Kirchner was employed as an assistant to [[Frank Ullrich]], the German biathlon male team head coach, with responsibilities including youth development. In April 2014, he was appointed as men's coach for the national team.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www5.biathlonworld.com/en/press_releases.html/do/detail?presse=2210 |title=Coaching Changes in Germany and Austria |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=8 April 2014 |website=[[International Biathlon Union]] |access-date=14 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226052021/http://www2.biathlonworld.com/en/press_releases.html/do/detail?presse=2210 |archive-date=26 December 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==Biathlon results==
All results are sourced from the [[International Biathlon Union]].<ref name="IBUprofile">{{cite web |url=http://services.biathlonresults.com/athletes.aspx?IbuId=BTGER10404197001 |title=Mark Kirchner |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=IBU Datacenter |publisher=International Biathlon Union |access-date=8 June 2015}}</ref>

===Olympic Games===
''4 medals (3 gold, 1 silver)''
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|- "
!Event
!style="width:70px;"|Individual
!style="width:70px;"|Sprint
!style="width:70px;"|Relay
|-
| align=left |{{flagicon|France}} [[1992 Winter Olympics|1992 Albertville]]
| style="background:silver;"| '''Silver'''
| style="background:gold;"| '''Gold'''
| style="background:gold;"| '''Gold'''
|-
| align=left |{{flagicon|Norway}} [[1994 Winter Olympics|1994 Lillehammer]]
| 7th
| 12th
| style="background:gold;"| '''Gold'''
|}

===World Championships===
''10 medals (7 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze)''
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|- "
!Event
!style="width:70px;"|Individual
!style="width:70px;"|Sprint
!style="width:70px;"|Pursuit
!Team
!style="width:70px;"|Relay
|-
| align=left |{{flagicon|URS}} [[Biathlon World Championships 1990|1990 Minsk]]
| 13th
| style="background:gold;"| '''Gold'''
| {{n/a}}
| style="background:gold;"| '''Gold'''
| style="background:#cfaa88;"| '''Bronze'''
|-
| align=left |{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Biathlon World Championships 1991|1991 Lahti]]
| style="background:gold;"| '''Gold'''
| style="background:gold;"| '''Gold'''
| {{n/a}}
| —
| style="background:gold;"| '''Gold'''
|-
| align=left |{{flagicon|BUL}} [[Biathlon World Championships 1993|1993 Borovets]]
| 20th
| style="background:gold;"| '''Gold'''
| {{n/a}}
| —
| style="background:#cfaa88;"| '''Bronze'''
|-
| align=left |{{nowrap|{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Biathlon World Championships 1995|1995 Antholz-Anterselva]]}}
| 15th
| 52nd
| {{n/a}}
| —
| style="background:gold;"| '''Gold'''
|-
| align=left |{{flagicon|GER}} [[Biathlon World Championships 1996|1996 Ruhpolding]]
| —
| 36th
| {{n/a}}
| 6th
| —
|-
| align=left |{{flagicon|SVK}} [[Biathlon World Championships 1997|1997 Brezno-Osrblie]]
| 43rd
| 32nd
| 14th
| style="background:silver;"| '''Silver'''
| —
|}
:''*During Olympic seasons competitions are only held for those events not included in the Olympic program.''
:''**Pursuit was added as an event in 1997.''

===Individual victories===
''11 victories (6 In, 5 Sp)''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Season
! Date
! Location
! Discipline
! Level
|-
| rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[1989–90 Biathlon World Cup|1989–90]]''' <br /> 1 victory <br /> (1 Sp) || 10 March 1990 ||{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Holmenkollen National Arena|Oslo Holmenkollen]]||10&nbsp;km sprint||[[Biathlon World Championships]]
|-
| rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[1990–91 Biathlon World Cup|1990–91]]''' <br /> 4 victories <br /> (3 In, 1 Sp) || 31 January 1991 ||{{flagicon|GER}} [[Oberhof, Germany|Oberhof]]||20&nbsp;km individual||[[Biathlon World Cup]]
|-
| 19 February 1991 ||{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Lahti]]||10&nbsp;km sprint||[[Biathlon World Championships]]
|-
| 24 February 1991 ||{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Lahti]]||20&nbsp;km individual||[[Biathlon World Championships]]
|-
| 7 March 1991 ||{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Holmenkollen National Arena|Oslo Holmenkollen]]||20&nbsp;km individual||[[Biathlon World Cup]]
|-
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[1991–92 Biathlon World Cup|1991–92]]''' <br /> 2 victories <br /> (1 In, 1 Sp) || 12 February 1992 ||{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Les Saisies|Albertville]]||10&nbsp;km sprint||[[Winter Olympic Games]]
|-
| 10 March 1992 ||{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Skrautvål]]||20&nbsp;km individual||[[Biathlon World Cup]]
|-
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[1992–93 Biathlon World Cup|1992–93]]''' <br /> 3 victories <br /> (1 In, 2 Sp) || 19 December 1992 ||{{flagicon|SLO}} [[Pokljuka]]||10&nbsp;km sprint||[[Biathlon World Cup]]
|-
| 13 February 1993 ||{{flagicon|BUL}} [[Borovets]]||10&nbsp;km sprint||[[Biathlon World Championships]]
|-
| 11 March 1993 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Östersund]]||20&nbsp;km individual||[[Biathlon World Cup]]
|-
| rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[1996–97 Biathlon World Cup|1996–97]]''' <br /> 1 victory <br /> (1 In) || 6 March 1997 ||{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Nozawaonsen, Nagano|Nagano]]||20&nbsp;km individual||[[Biathlon World Cup]]
|}
:''*Results are from UIPMB and IBU races which include the [[Biathlon World Cup]], [[Biathlon World Championships]] and the [[Winter Olympic Games]].''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{IBU name|BTGER10404197001}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions Biathlon 10km Men}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions Biathlon Relay Men}}
{{Footer World Champions Biathlon 20km Men}}
{{Footer World Champions Biathlon 10km Men}}
{{Footer World Champions Biathlon Team Men}}
{{Footer World Champions Biathlon Relay Men}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirchner, Mark}}
[[Category:1970 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Neuhaus am Rennweg]]
[[Category:Biathletes from Thuringia]]
[[Category:German male biathletes]]
[[Category:Biathletes at the 1992 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Biathletes at the 1994 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic biathletes for Germany]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1992 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1994 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in biathlon]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Germany]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Germany]]
[[Category:Biathlon World Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Holmenkollen Ski Festival winners]]
[[Category:German cross-country skiing coaches]]
[[Category:20th-century German sportsmen]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Bezirk Suhl]]
[[Category:East German male biathletes]]