Birte Weigang

Birte Weigang

Weigang in 1988
Personal information
Full name Birte Weigang
Nationality  East Germany
Born 31 January 1968
Leipzig, Saxony, East Germany
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Backstroke, medley, butterfly
Birte Weigang (1983)
29th NOK competition in Berlin (1983)
Birte Weigang (1987)

Birte Weigang (born 31 January 1968 in Leipzig) is a former butterfly and backstroke swimmer from East Germany, who won three medals at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. The twenty-year-old triumphed with the DDR women's relay team in the 4×100 m medley together with her teammates Kristin Otto, Silke Hörner and Katrin Meissner, and finished second in both the 100 m and the 200 m butterfly. She won a gold medal in 1987 at the European Championships, at women's 4×100 m medley.

She is a daughter of the legendary Horst Weigang, once a footballer of the year for East Germany. She started her career in SC Turbine Erfurt. Weigang celebrated her biggest success in 1985, when at the age of 17 she became a European backstroke champion. Later she concentrated on butterfly style and won a silver medal at the World Championships in 1986, which were held in Madrid.

After Birte has given up her swimming career, she became a coach.

References