Roland Matthes

Roland Matthes Cause Of Death; Full Details

Roland Matthes will always be remembered as a true legend, forever etching his name in the annals of swimming history.

His unparalleled accomplishments and unwavering dedication to his craft have left an inspiring legacy for future generations of swimmers to aspire to.

Roland Matthes Biography

Roland Matthes was a German swimmer and is widely regarded as the most successful backstroke swimmer of all time.

He dominated the discipline throughout his career, winning every backstroke competition he entered between April 1967 and August 1974.

Matthes left an unforgettable impression on the swimming world, winning four European championships, three consecutive world championships, and setting multiple world and European records.

Matthes was born on November 17, 1950, and he showed a natural knack for swimming from a young age. He polished his skills and grew into a great backstroke swimmer under the tutelage of his trainer, Marlies Grohe.

His devotion and hard work paid off when he competed in the Olympics in 1968, 1972, and 1976, winning four gold medals, two silver medals, and two bronze medals.

Matthes topped the podium in both the 1 stroke events in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics. In 1976, he also won a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke.

Matthes also competed in the 4x100m team medley, which won silver in 1968 and 1972, and the 4x100m freestyle relay, which won bronze in 1972. He was the only male swimmer from East Germany to earn a medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.

Matthes’ accomplishments went beyond the Olympic stage. He became the first swimmer to win both the 100m and 200m backstroke championships at the World Championships in Belgrade in 1973, establishing himself as the world’s finest in the event.

In addition, he won silver in the 4x100m medley relay and bronze in the 4x100m freestyle relay. Matthes successfully defended his world title in the 100m backstroke two years later, in 1975.

Matthes’ prowess was also on display during the European Championships. He won all four championships in the 100m and 200m backstroke events in 1970 in Barcelona and 1974 in Vienna.

He won an individual silver in the 100m freestyle, a gold in the 4x100m medley relay, and two bronzes in the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays in Barcelona.

He also won an individual silver in the 100m butterfly and a bronze in the 4x100m freestyle relay in Vienna.

Matthes’ accomplishments were recognised both within and outside of the swimming community.

From 1967 to 1971, and again in 1973 and 1975, he was named East German Sportsperson of the Year seven times. He was appropriately admitted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1981 for his outstanding achievements to the sport.

Matthes sought higher study outside of swimming. He studied sport sciences at the DHfK in Leipzig from 1970 to 1977. He later studied medicine at the University of Jena from 1978 to 1984. He worked as an orthopaedic physician after graduation, providing care and support to others.

Matthes stopped competing in swimming in 1976. He married Kornelia Ender, an East German Olympic swimmer, in May 1978, but their marriage terminated in 1982.

Throughout his career, Matthes consistently denied any involvement in doping, even as the issue of doping in East Germany placed doubt on many athletes’ successes.

Roland Matthes died tragically on December 20, 2019, at the age of 69. Matthes’ death signalled the end of an era in swimming, and his opponent and five-time Olympic champion, John Naber, paid respect to his legacy.

Matthes was recognised as the finest backstroker of all time by Naber, who admired his clean strokes, tremendous acceleration, and undefeated record in the backstroke for a decade.

Roland Matthes Cause Of Death

Roland Matthes’s cause of death remains unknown as he is said to have died from an illness but the actual illness is still a mystery.

References

NBC Sportsย 

Wikipediaย 


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