His Olympic vision carried him through the ups and downs of 20 years at the pinnacle of the world class. But elite sports has its own rules, and sporting reality is often a different matter entirely. Lars Riedel examines the role of officials, media and sponsors with a critical eye, as well as describing the pressure to perform, injuries and doping. He looks back on a life dedicated to sport and reveals the source of his motivation and inner strength.
Lars Riedel, born in 1967 in Zwickau, began his discus career in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR). In the 1990s the top-class athlete and eleven-time German champion won five world championships in discus throwing, in 1996 Olympic gold in Atlanta, in 1998 the European championship title, in 2000 Olympic silver in Sydney.
Edwin Klein won the German hammer-throwing championships several times over, participated at the Olympic games, and, following his sports career, worked as a grammar school teacher. He has published 20 books on highly topical political, social and science issues, and is the successful author of several crime thrillers. www.edwin-klein.de