Volker Beck (athlete)

Volker Beck (born June 30, 1956 in Nordhausen, Thuringia) is a former East German athlete, winner of 400 m hurdles at the 1980 Summer Olympics.

With the best 400 m hurdler in the late 1970s and early 1980s Edwin Moses missing due the boycott, the best chance of winning the Olympic gold had Volker Beck, the East German 400 m hurdles champion in 1980, 1981 and 1983.

In Moscow, Beck won the 400 m hurdles easily, beating second-placed Vasyl Arkhypenko from Soviet Union by 0.16 seconds, although it was the slowest Olympic final since 1964. Beck won his second Olympic medal in 4x400 m relay, when he was beaten to a second place by Soviet anchor Viktor Markin.

After his athletics career, Beck started to work as a coach, among other things he was a coach of German National Team.

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