Christine WACHTEL

When recalling the name of Christine Wachtel, it is always inexorably linked to that of her East German teammate Sigrun Wodars. The '2 Ws' as they came to be known, were born in the same year, ran for the same club, and were the best two 800m runners in the world during the late 1980's. Unfortunately for Wachtel, although she usually had the edge over her friend and rival in minor meets, it was invariably Wodars who would prevail in major international competitions.

In light of her subsequent defeats by Wodars, one of the highlights of Wachtel's career occurred in 1985, before Wodars matured into a world-class athlete. Christine won the 800m at the East German national championships in early August, and the following week she finished third in the European Cup behind world-record holder Jarmila Kratochvilova (Czechoslovakia), and second fastest of all time Nadezhda Olizarenko (Soviet Union). These three athletes met again in the World Cup in Canberra on 5 October, where, after a slow pace, the young Wachtel outsprinted her more experienced rivals to win the gold medal.

Wachtel had a relatively quiet year in 1986 when she finished 8th at the European Championships, but she was in superb form during the 1987 season, defeating Wodars in all their meetings prior to the World Championships in Rome, including the European Indoor Championships and the East German national championships on 21 August. In the World Championships at Rome (see photo above), Wachtel breezed through the preliminary rounds of the 800m, and then in the final on 31 August, she staged a titanic battle for the lead with Wodars down the home straight, first losing, then regaining the lead, before a late surge by Wodars near the line carried her to a narrow victory and relegated Christine to second place. (Ron Casey).

During 1987, Christine Wachtel had beaten her friend and training partner Sigrun Wodars in all their 800m encounters prior to the World Championships in Rome, where Wodars turned the tables on her, winning the gold medal while Christine had to be content with the silver. In 1988, the pattern of the previous year continued, with Wachtel winning virtually all of their encounters, but at the Olympic Games in Seoul, she again finished second behind Wodars.

The 1990 season also started in the same manner, as Wachtel won all their early season encounters, before Wodars started to balance the ledger later in the season. Less than two weeks prior to the European Championships in Split, Wachtel set a new world record of 2min 30.67sec over 1000m at Berlin, in a race in which Wodars finished second. In the final at Split on 29 August, Wachtel led at the end of the first lap, but Wodars moved to the front near the 600m mark and established a small lead which she maintained to the finish (see photo above), and once again Christine had to be content with second place behind her teammate.

Wodars retired shortly afterwards, whereas Wachtel continued to compete for several years, although never with the quality of performances that had characterised her tussles with Wodars. Wachtel finished 6th in the 800m at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, but she did not go home empty handed, as she was a member of the German 4 x 400m relay team which won the bronze medal. At the 1992 Olympic Games, she was eliminated in the heats of the 800m, and at the 1993 World Championships, she advanced no further than the semi-finals. Her last major competition was the 1994 European Championships, where she was again eliminated in the semi-finals. (Ron Casey)

Wachtel trained at the Neubrandenburg sport club under trainer Walter Gladrow. During her career she was 1.66 meters tall and weighed 66 kilograms. After her sport career she operates a pizza-bakery in Neubrandenburg.