Kristin Otto

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Competitor for Image:Flag of East Germany.svg East Germany
Olympic medal record
Women’s Swimming
Olympic Games
Gold	1988 Seoul	50m Freestyle
Gold	1988 Seoul	100m Freestyle
Gold	1988 Seoul	100m Butterfly
Gold	1988 Seoul	100m Backstroke
Gold	1988 Seoul	4x100m Freestyle
Gold	1988 Seoul	4x100m Medley
World Championships (LC)
Gold	1982 Guayaquil	100m Backstroke
Gold	1982 Guayaquil	4x100m Medley
Gold	1982 Guayaquil	4x100m Freestyle
Gold	1986 Madrid	100m Freestyle
Gold	1986 Madrid	200m Medley
Gold	1986 Madrid	4x100m Freestyle
Gold	1986 Madrid	4x100m Medley
Silver	1986 Madrid	50m Freestyle
Silver	1986 Madrid	100m Butterfly
European Championships (LC)
Gold	1983 Rome	4x100m Freestyle
Gold	1983 Rome	4x200m Freestyle
Gold	1987 Strasbourg	100m Freestyle
Gold	1987 Strasbourg	100m Backstroke
Gold	1987 Strasbourg	100m Butterfly
Gold	1987 Strasbourg	4x100m Freestyle
Gold	1987 Strasbourg	4x100m Medley
Silver	1983 Rome	100m Freestyle

Kristin Otto (born February 7, 1968 in Leipzig, East Germany) is a German Olympic swimming champion. She is most famous for being the first woman to win six gold medals at the 1988 Seoul Olympic games.

Kristin Otto began swimming at 10 years old, she was trained in an East German sports academy. At 16 years of age she participated in her first world championships in Ecuador 1982, she won the gold medal in the 100 meter backstroke, along with two additional gold medals in the 4x100 relays with the East German team.

After the 1982 world championships Kristin Otto switched coaches and she began concentrating on other speed strokes. At the following European Championships in 1983, Otto finished second in the 100 meter freestyle, behind fellow East German Birgit Meineke.

In 1984, Otto set a world record in the 200 meter freestyle. She was favored to win gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic games, but was one of the many eastern bloc athletes denied their moment to shine. Things only became worse for Kristin, in 1985 she fractured her vertebra which caused her to be inactive in swimming for most of the year and she was unable to attend the European championships.

Otto returned to swimming with a magnificent showing at the 1986 World Championships in Madrid. At those world championships she won 4 gold medals (100 m freestyle, 200 m medley rely and 4x100 medley and 4x100 freestyle) and 2 silver medals (50m freestyle, 100 m butterfly). Her success continued the following year at the 1987 European Championships where she won 5 gold medals.

At the 1988 SeoulOlympic games she once again was favored to win Olympic gold. This time she was able to achieve her Olympic dream.

Otto ended her swimming career in 1989. She works as a sports reporter for German television. She was named the Female World Swimmer of the Year in 1984, 1986 and 1988 by Swimming World magazine'

Sadly her career is marred by the revelations of widespread performance enhancement drugs use by East German athletes. Her former teammate, now a general surgeon, Birgit Meineke has commented publicly about the procedures utilized by the East Germans [1]

v • d • e Olympic champions in women's 50 m freestyle
1988: Kristin Otto \| 1992: Wenyi Yang \| 1996: Amy Van Dyken \| 2000: Inge de Bruijn \| 2004: Inge de Bruijn

v • d • e

Olympic champions in women's 100 m freestyle

v • d • e Olympic champions in women's 100 m butterfly
1956: Shelley Mann \| 1960: Carolyn Schuler \| 1964: Sharon Stouder \| 1968: Lyn McClements \| 1972: Mayumi Aoki \| 1976: Kornelia Ender \| 1980: Caren Metschuck \| 1984: Mary T. Meagher \| 1988: Kristin Otto \| 1992: Qian Hong \| 1996: Amy Van Dyken \| 2000: Inge de Bruijn \| 2004: Petria Thomas

v • d • e Olympic champions in women's 100 m backstroke
1924: Sybil Bauer 1928: Marie Braun 1932: Eleanor Holm 1936: Nida Senff 1948: Karen Harup 1952: Joan Harrison 1956: Judy Grinham 1960: Lynn Burke 1964: Cathy Ferguson 1968: Kaye Hall 1972: Melissa Belote 1976: Ulrike Richter 1980: Rica Reinisch 1984: Theresa Andrews 1988: Kristin Otto 1992: Krisztina Egerszegi 1996: Beth Botsford 2000: Diana Mocanu 2004: Natalie Coughlin

Awards
Preceded by Ute Geweniger	World Swimmer of the Year 1984	Succeeded by Mary T. Meagher
Preceded by Mary T. Meagher	World Swimmer of the Year 1986	Succeeded by Janet Evans
Preceded by Janet Evans	World Swimmer of the Year 1988	Succeeded by Janet Evans
Preceded by Ute Geweniger	European Swimmer of the Year 1984	Succeeded by Silke Hörner
Preceded by Silke Hörner	European Swimmer of the Year 1986	Succeeded by Silke Hörner
Preceded by Silke Hörner	European Swimmer of the Year 1988	Succeeded by Anke Möhring
Preceded by Image:Flag of East Germany.svg Silke Möller	East German Sportswoman of the Year 1988 – 1989	Succeeded by Incumbent