Frank Pfütze (15 January 1959 – 20 January 1991) was a German freestyle swimmer who competed at the 1976 and 1980 Summer Olympics in five events. He won a silver medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay in 1980 and finished fifth in the same event in 1976. In individual events he was eliminated in the preliminaries[1]

Frank Pfütze
Pfütze in 1977
Personal information
Born(1959-01-15)15 January 1959
Rostock, East Germany
Died20 January 1991(1991-01-20) (aged 32)
Berlin, Germany
Height1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight74 kg (163 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
ClubSC Dynamo Berlin
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing  East Germany
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1980 Moscow 4×200 m freestyle
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1975 Cali 400 m freestyle
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1974 Vienna 1500 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 1977 Jönköping 4×200 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 1977 Jönköping 400 m freestyle

He also won four medals at the 1975 World Aquatics Championships and LEN European Aquatics Championships of 1974 and 1977, including one gold in the 1500 m freestyle (1974), setting a new European record.[2][3] He broke another European record in 1976, in the 400 m freestyle.[4]

Pfütze died of a sudden heart failure at age 32, leaving a wife and a son. Whereas the cause of his death remained uncertain, it was tentatively related to the East German doping program that Pfütze was involved in.[5]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Frank Pfütze". sports-reference. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  2. ^ 1500 Free Men[permanent dead link]. europeanchampionships.org
  3. ^ Frank PFÜTZE. les-sports.info
  4. ^ 400 Free Men[permanent dead link]. europeanchampionships.org
  5. ^ Alexander Osang (1992). Aufsteiger – Absteiger. Ch. Links Verlag. p. 109. ISBN 978-3-86153-040-4.