View source for Renate Stecher

{{short description|East German sprinter}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{expand German|topic=bio|date=February 2022|Renate Stecher}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
|name=
|nickname=
|image=Renate Stecher c1974.jpg
| image_size     =
|caption=
|birth_date= {{birth-date and age|12 May 1950}}
|birth_place=[[Süptitz]], [[Saxony-Anhalt]], [[East Germany]]
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| height = {{convert|1.70|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|71|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|sport=Athletics
|event=100 m, 200 m
|club= [[SC Motor Jena]]
|pb=100 m – 10.8 (1973)<br> 200 m – 22.38 (1973)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://trackfield.brinkster.net/Profile.asp?ID=1785&Gender=W |title=Renate Stecher |website=trackfield.brinkster.net}}</ref>
|alma_mater=
| show-medals    = yes
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalCountry | {{GDR}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Munich]]|[[Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres|100 m]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Munich]]|[[Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metres|200 m]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1976 Summer Olympics|1976 Montreal]]|[[Athletics at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Munich]]|[[Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1976 Summer Olympics|1976 Montreal]]|[[Athletics at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres|100 m]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[1976 Summer Olympics|1976 Montreal]]|[[Athletics at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metres|200 m]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[European Athletics Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1969 European Athletics Championships|1969 Athens]]|[[1969 European Athletics Championships – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1971 European Athletics Championships|1971 Helsinki]]|[[1971 European Athletics Championships – Women's 100 metres|100 m]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1971 European Athletics Championships|1971 Helsinki]]|[[1971 European Athletics Championships – Women's 200 metres|200 m]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1974 European Athletics Championships|1974 Rome]]|[[1974 European Athletics Championships – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1969 European Athletics Championships|1969 Athens]]|[[1969 European Athletics Championships – Women's 200 metres|200 m]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1971 European Athletics Championships|1971 Helsinki]]|[[1971 European Athletics Championships – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1974 European Athletics Championships|1974 Rome]]|[[1974 European Athletics Championships – Women's 100 metres|100 m]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1974 European Athletics Championships|1974 Rome]]|[[1974 European Athletics Championships – Women's 200 metres|200 m]]}}
}}

'''Renate Stecher''' ({{IPA|de|ʁənaːtə ˈʃtɛçɐ}}, {{Audio|De-Renate Stecher.ogg|audio}}; née '''Meißner''', born 12 May 1950) is a German (former [[East Germany|East German]]) sprint runner and a triple [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] champion. She held 34 world records and was the first woman to run 100 metres within 11 seconds.<ref name=sr>{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/renate-stecher-1.html |title=Renate Stecher |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417052637/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/renate-stecher-1.html |archive-date=2020-04-17}}</ref>

==Biography==
Born as Renate Meißner, she was a very talented athlete, also competing in the [[high jump]] and [[women's pentathlon|pentathlon]]. She debuted internationally at the [[1969 European Athletics Championships|1969 European Championships]], where she – as a last minute substitute – won a [[silver medal]] in the [[200 metres|200 m]] and a [[Gold medal|gold]] in the [[4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]].<ref name=sr/>


In 1970 she was the World Student Games Champion in both the 100 and 200 metres.

Renate won five national 100m titles 1970-75. She also won the 200 on 4 occasions.


At the next European Championships, in [[1971 European Athletics Championships|1971]], she won both the [[100 metres|100]] and 200 m and the silver in the relay. At that time, she was already competing as Renate Stecher, having married [[hurdling|hurdler]] Gerd Stecher the previous year.<ref name=sr/>

At the [[1972 Summer Olympics]], Stecher repeated that performance. She won the 100 m in time of 11.07, which was only in 1976 recognised as [[List of world records in athletics|world record]], which had been measured in tenths of seconds before (the times in tenths were later corrected). She also equalled the world record in the 200 meters with a time of 22.40. The following year, Stecher set (hand timed) world records in both sprint events, also becoming the first woman to beat 11 seconds. She clocked 10.9 and 10.8 for the 100 metres and 22.1 for the 200 metres.<ref name=sr/>

Stecher also won the 200 m. [[Wilma van den Berg]] of the Netherlands had qualified for the semifinals, and the 23.22 that she ran in the quarterfinals was faster than the time in the quarterfinals of Stecher.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/61413|title=Olympedia – 200 metres, Women|website=www.olympedia.org}}</ref> However, after the killing of 11 Israeli athletes in the [[Munich Massacre]], and the Olympics not being cancelled, van den Berg withdrew from the competition in sympathy with the Israeli victims.<ref name="auto451">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/07/08/archives/maccabia-games-a-somber-occasion.html|title=Maccabiah Games: A Somber Occasion|date=July 8, 1973|work=The New York Times}}</ref> She said that she was leaving in protest of the "obscene" decision to continue with the Olympic Games.<ref>John Bale (2004). [https://books.google.com/books?id=bkeRAgAAQBAJ&dq=Wilma++van+Gool+sprinter&pg=PA157 ''Running Cultures; Racing in Time and Space'']</ref>

In Rome at the [[1974 European Athletics Championships|1974 European Championships]] she was defeated in both the 100 m and 200 m, by [[Irena Szewińska]] of Poland and had to settle for silver in both distances. However the GDR 4 × 100 m relay team, in which Stecher ran the second leg, won the gold medal in a world record time.<ref name=sr/>

At the [[1976 Summer Olympics]], Stecher again competed in the three sprint events, winning medals in all three once again. She was beaten for the 100 m title by [[Annegret Richter]], and came third in a 200 m race with five German women in the first five positions. With the 4 × 100 m relay team they beat [[West Germany]], taking revenge for the race four years earlier.<ref name=sr/>

==Retirement==
Following the release of East German secret service files, it was revealed that many of the country's athletes were involved with [[Doping in East Germany|a state-sponsored drug program]]. The files document that Stecher had wanted to step down her drug use after the 1972 Olympics, so that she could safely have children.<ref>McDonald, Margie (15 April 2009). [https://archive.today/20120911180302/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25335608-5015718,00.html Too little too late, as Raelene Boyle slams East German drug coaches]. ''[[The Australian]]''. Retrieved on 22 May 2009.</ref> [[Raelene Boyle]], who had finished second to Stecher in both the 100 and 200&nbsp;metres at the Olympics, stated that she felt cheated, as she believed it unlikely that Stecher would have beaten her without the use of [[performance-enhancing drugs]].<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/profiles/Transcripts/s1054633.htm Raelene Boyle]. [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] (26 February 2004). Retrieved on 22 May 2009.</ref>

In 2011 Stecher was inducted into the [[Germany's Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref name=sr/>

==References==
{{Commons category|Renate Stecher}}
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|rec}}
{{s-bef|before={{flagicon|TCH}} [[Eva Glesková]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[World record progression 100 metres women|Women's 100 m World Record Holder]]|years=30 June 1973 – 13 June 1976}}
{{s-aft|after={{flagicon|FRG}} [[Inge Helten]]}}
{{s-sports}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-vac|unknown}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[200 metres#Women.27s Seasons Best|Women's 200 m Best Year Performance]]|years=1972–1973}}
{{s-aft|after={{flagicon|POL}} [[Irena Szewińska]]}}
{{s-bef|before={{flagicon|POL}} [[Irena Szewińska]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[200 metres#Women.27s Seasons Best|Women's 200 m Best Year Performance]]|years=1975}}
{{s-aft|after={{flagicon|GDR}} [[Bärbel Wöckel]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 100 m Women}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 200 m Women}}
{{Olympic champions 4 × 100 metres women}}
{{European champions 100 metres women}}
{{European champions 200 metres women}}
{{European champions 4 × 100 metres women}}
{{Footer European Indoor Champions 60m Women}}
{{Footer Universiade Champions 100m Women}}
{{Footer Universiade Champions 200m Women}}
{{Footer WBYP 100m Women}}
{{Footer WBYP 200m Women}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stecher, Renate}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:East German women sprinters]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for East Germany]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for East Germany]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for East Germany]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for East Germany]]
[[Category:World record setters in the sport of athletics]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit]]
[[Category:European Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1976 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:FISU World University Games gold medalists for East Germany]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1970 Summer Universiade]]
[[Category:Olympic women sprinters]]
[[Category:People from Torgau]]
[[Category:Athletes from Bezirk Leipzig]]
[[Category:East German Athletics Championships winners]]