Lars Riedel
A dominant German discus thrower whose five world championship gold medals established him as one of the greatest technicians in the event's history.
Born 1967 (age 59)·German discus thrower·Birthday: June 28·Generation X
Biography
Lars Riedel approached the discus ring with the meticulous focus of an engineer, which helped craft one of the most consistent careers in track and field. Hailing from Zwickau in East Germany, he was a product of the country's rigorous sports system, but his true peak came after German reunification. Riedel's era was defined by his rivalry with Lithuania's Virgilijus Alekna, a clash that pushed the event to new distances. His technique was a thing of beauty—balanced, powerful, and repeatable under pressure. This consistency earned him an unprecedented five World Championship titles between 1991 and 2001, a record that still stands. While Olympic gold eluded him until the 1996 Atlanta Games, where he triumphed with a masterful series of throws, his world championship haul is his defining legacy. Riedel competed at the highest level for over 15 years, a testament to his technical perfection and durability in a physically punishing sport.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Lars was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Lars Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Lars's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won five World Championship gold medals in the discus (1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2001), a record for the event.
- Captured the Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta.
- Set a personal best and German record of 71.50 meters in 1997, which remains among the longest throws in history.
- Won the European Championship title in 1998 in Budapest.
Did You Know?
He originally trained as a toolmaker before focusing fully on athletics.
Riedel won his first world title in 1991 representing the unified German team, just after reunification.
He competed in four consecutive Olympic Games from 1992 to 2004.
His father, Klaus, was also a discus thrower who represented East Germany.
“The discus is a geometry problem you solve with your whole body.”
