Ruth Fuchs ( Gamm, later Hellmann, 14 December 1946 – 20 September 2023) was a German politician and athlete. Fuchs, representing

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

, was the winner of the women's javelin at the 1972 (Munich) and 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 old javelin type, achieved in April 1980 in

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enter ...

. This ranks her seventh among German old-type-javelin throwers, behind Petra Felke (who held the

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organizatio ...

), Antje Kempe, Silke Renk, Beate Koch, Karen Forkel, and Tanja Damaske. Fuchs admitted using

steroids A steroid is an organic compound with four fused rings (designated A, B, C, and D) arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter mem ...

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 (now the Left Party) in the re-united Germany. After her retirement from public life Fuchs lived in

Bucha, Saale-Holzland Bucha is a municipality in the district Saale-Holzland, in Thuringia, Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps t ...

, in

Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area. Er ...

, Germany. Ruth Fuchs died at the University Hospital in

Jena Jena (; ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 in ...

on 20 September 2023, at the age of 76.Javelin throw Olympic champion Fuchs dies at the age of 76
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References

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