Torsten Voss
A rare East German athlete who reached the podium in both the decathlon and the four-man bobsleigh at the Olympic Games.
Born 1963 (age 63)·East German bobsledder·Birthday: March 24·Baby Boomers
Biography
Torsten Voss possessed the raw athletic power that made him a natural for the decathlon. Competing for East Germany, he claimed a silver medal in the grueling ten-event competition at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, beaten only by the great Christian Schenk. His career in track and field was formidable, marked by strength in throwing and jumping events. In a surprising second act, he channeled that power into winter sports, becoming a brakeman for the German bobsleigh team after reunification. His explosive starts were a huge asset, helping pilot Harald Czudaj's crew to a bronze medal at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. Voss stands as one of the few athletes to win Olympic medals in both summer and winter disciplines, a testament to his extraordinary all-around physical prowess.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Torsten was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Torsten Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Torsten's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the silver medal in the decathlon at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
- Won the bronze medal in the four-man bobsleigh at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer.
- Won the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics in Rome.
- Set a personal best of 8,680 points in the decathlon in 1987.
Did You Know?
He was the flag bearer for East Germany at the opening ceremony of the 1988 Summer Olympics.
His switch to bobsleigh came after he was banned from track and field for a doping offense, which he disputed.
He later worked as a sports commentator for German television.
“Power is nothing without control, whether on the track or the ice.”
