View source for Ruth Fuchs

{{Short description|East German javelin thrower and politician (1946–2023)}}
{{expand German|topic=bio|date=December 2021|Ruth Fuchs}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| nationality = {{GER}}
| birth_name = Ruth Gamm
| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-W0429-0042, Ruth Fuchs.jpg
| caption = Fuchs in 1980
| birth_date = {{birth date|1946|12|14|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Egeln]], [[Saxony-Anhalt]]<br>{{flagicon|Germany|1946}} [[Allied-occupied Germany|Germany]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|09|20|1946|12|14|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Jena]], [[Thuringia]]<br>{{flag|Germany}}
| height = {{convert|1.69|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|71|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| country = {{GDR}}
| sport = [[Sport of athletics|Athletics]]
| event = [[Javelin throw]]
| headercolor = lightsteelblue
| club = [[TuS Jena]]
| pb = 69.96 m (1980)
| medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Sport | Women's [[Sport of athletics|athletics]]}}
{{Medal|Country | {{GDR}} }}
{{Medal|Olympics}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Munich]]|[[Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw|Javelin throw]] }} 
{{Medal|Gold| [[1976 Summer Olympics|1976 Montreal]]|[[Athletics at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw|Javelin throw]] }}
{{Medal|Comp|[[European Athletics Championships|European Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1974 European Athletics Championships|1974 Rome]]|[[1974 European Athletics Championships – Women's javelin throw|Javelin]]}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1978 European Athletics Championships|1978 Prague]]|[[1978 European Athletics Championships – Women's javelin throw|Javelin]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze| [[1971 European Athletics Championships|1971 Helsinki]]|[[1971 European Athletics Championships – Women's javelin throw|Javelin]]}} 
}}

'''Ruth Fuchs''' ({{nee}} '''Gamm''', later '''Hellmann''', 14 December 1946 – 20 September 2023) was a German politician and athlete. Fuchs, representing [[East Germany]], was the winner of the women's javelin at the [[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 (Munich)]] and [[1976 Summer Olympics|1976 (Montreal) Olympic Games]]. She set the world record for the javelin six times during the 1970s.

Her personal best throw was 69.96 metres with the [[Javelin throw#Javelin redesigns|old javelin type]], achieved in April 1980 in [[Split (city)|Split]]. This ranks her seventh among German old-type-javelin throwers, behind [[Petra Felke]] (who held the [[world records in athletics|world record]]), [[Antje Kempe]], [[Silke Renk]], [[Beate Koch]], [[Karen Forkel]], and [[Tanja Damaske]].<ref>[http://www.leichtathletik.de/dokumente/ergebnisse/images/ewige_dlv_bestenliste.pdf Microsoft Word – Ewige DLV-Bestenliste.doc<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070704081712/http://www.leichtathletik.de/dokumente/ergebnisse/images/ewige_dlv_bestenliste.pdf |date=4 July 2007 }}</ref>

Fuchs admitted using [[steroids]] during her career, as part of the official East German sports programme.

After retirement from track and field, Fuchs became a member of Parliament for the [[Party of Democratic Socialism (Germany)|Party of Democratic Socialism]] (now the [[Left Party (Germany)|Left Party]]) in the re-united Germany. After her retirement from public life Fuchs lived in [[Bucha, Saale-Holzland]], in [[Thuringia]], Germany.

Ruth Fuchs died at the University Hospital in [[Jena]] on 20 September 2023, at the age of 76.<ref>[https://www.thesundaily.my/sport/javelin-throw-olympic-champion-fuchs-dies-at-the-age-of-76-IE11515739 Javelin throw Olympic champion Fuchs dies at the age of 76]</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*[http://www.sporting-heroes.net/athletics-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=250 Biography from sporting-heroes.net]
*{{Sports-reference|fu/ruth-fuchs-1.html}}

{{Navboxes
|title=Ruth Fuchs navigation boxes
|list =
{{Footer Olympic Champions Javelin Throw Women}}
{{Footer European Champions Javelin Throw Women}}
{{Footer IAAF World Cup Champions Javelin Throw Women}}
{{Members of the 11th Bundestag}}
{{Members of the 12th Bundestag}}
{{Members of the 13th Bundestag}}
{{Members of the 14th Bundestag}}
}}

{{Authority_control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fuchs, Ruth}}
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:2023 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Salzlandkreis]]
[[Category:East German female javelin throwers]]
[[Category:Socialist Unity Party of Germany politicians]]
[[Category:Party of Democratic Socialism (Germany) politicians]]
[[Category:Members of the 10th Volkskammer]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag for Thuringia]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag 1998–2002]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag 1994–1998]]
[[Category:20th-century German women politicians]]
[[Category:Members of the Landtag of Thuringia]]
[[Category:Female members of the Volkskammer]]
[[Category:Female members of the Bundestag]]
[[Category:German sportsperson-politicians]]
[[Category:Athletes from Saxony-Anhalt]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for East Germany]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1980 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:German sportspeople in doping cases]]
[[Category:Doping cases in athletics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for East Germany]]
[[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 (track and field)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit in gold]]
[[Category:21st-century German women politicians]]
[[Category:East German Athletics Championships winners]]