Liesel Westermann

Lieselotte "Liesel" Westermann-Krieg (born Westermann on 2 November 1944; German pronunciation: [ˈliːzl̩ˈvɛstɐˌman] ⓘ) is a retired German discus thrower. She held the world record from 5 November 1967 to 12 August 1971, with a two-month break in 1968 and competed at two Olympic Games.

Biography

Westermann competed for West Germany at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics and finished in second and fifth place, respectively. She won silver medals at the 1966 and 1971 European championships. For her athletics achievements Westermann was selected as the German Sportspersonality of the year in 1967 and 1969, and inducted into the Germany's Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

Westermann won the British WAAA Championships title in the discus throw event at the British 1971 WAAA Championships.

After retiring from competitions Westermann worked as a teacher of physical education, eventually becoming a consultant for sports and health education with the Ministry for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony. An avid opponent of doping (she was once described as the last undoped discus world record holder) she was a member of the Anti-Doping Commission of the German Sports Federation and the National Olympic Committee. Westermann is married and has four children. As a member of the Free Democratic Party she unsuccessfully contested district elections in 1984.

Publications

• Liesel Westermann (1977) Es kann nicht immer Lorbeer sein. Molden, Munich, ISBN 3-217-00846-4.