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Roland Matthes
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-G0413-0015-001, Roland Matthes.jpg
Roland Matthes competing at the Deutsche Hallenmeisterschaften on 1968-04-13 in Rostock
Personal information
Full name Roland Matthes
Nickname(s) "Rolls-Royce of Swimming"
Nationality  East Germany
Stroke(s) Backstroke
Club Sportclub Turbine Erfurt
Date of birth 17 November 1950 (1950-11-17) (age 59)
Place of birth Pößneck, Thüringen
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
Weight 74 kilograms (160 lb)

Roland Matthes (born 17 November 1950 in Pößneck, Thuringia) is a German former backstroke swimmer, who won a total number of eight Olympic medals for East Germany. He is considered to be one of the best backstroke swimmers of all time.

Career

He competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1968, when he won his first Olympic medals.

Matthes was undefeated in international competitions from 1967 to 1974. During his career he set 21 world records, and won three world and four European titles. Matthes was named East German Sportsman of the Year seven times: 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973 and 1975. He retired after the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, and that year married fellow-swimmer Kornelia Ender. Six year later the couple divorced. Matthes is currently living and working in Marktheidenfeld. He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1981.

References

Records
Preceded by
United States Charles Hickcox		 Men's 100 metre backstroke
world record holder (long course)
21 September 1967 – 18 July 1976		 Succeeded by
United States John Naber
Preceded by
–		 Men's 200 metre backstroke
world record holder (long course)
2 September 1972 – 19 June 1976		 Succeeded by
United States John Naber
Awards
Preceded by
East Germany Frank Wiegand		 East German Sportsman of the Year
1967 – 1971		 Succeeded by
East Germany Wolfgang Nordwig
Preceded by
East Germany Wolfgang Nordwig		 East German Sportsman of the Year
1973		 Succeeded by
East Germany Hans-Georg Aschenbach
Preceded by
East Germany Hans-Georg Aschenbach		 East German Sportsman of the Year
1975		 Succeeded by
East Germany Waldemar Cierpinski
Olympic Champions in Men's 100 m Backstroke
Olympic Champions in Men's 200 m Backstroke

1900: Ernst Hoppenberg | 1964: Jed Graef | 1968: Roland Matthes | 1972: Roland Matthes | 1976: John Naber | 1980: Sándor Wladár | 1984: Rick Carey | 1988: Igor Polyanskiy | 1992: Martin López-Zubero | 1996: Brad Bridgewater | 2000: Lenny Krayzelburg | 2004: Aaron Peirsol | 2008: Ryan Lochte
World Long Course Champions in Men's 100 m Backstroke

 1973: Roland Matthes (GDR)  •  1975: Roland Matthes (GDR)  •  1978: Bob Jackson (USA)  •  1982: Dirk Richter (GDR)  •  1986: Igor Polyansky (URS)  •  1991: Jeff Rouse (USA)  •  1994: Martin Lopez-Zubero (ESP)  •  1998: Lenny Krayzelburg (USA)  •  2001: Matt Welsh (AUS)  •  2003: Aaron Peirsol (USA)  •  2005: Aaron Peirsol (USA)  •  2007: Aaron Peirsol (USA)  •  2009: Junya Koga (JAP)
World Long Course Champions in Men's 200 m Backstroke

 1973: Roland Matthes (GDR)  •  1975: Zoltán Verrasztó (HUN)  •  1978: Jesse Vassallo (USA)  •  1982: Rick Carey (GDR)  •  1986: Igor Polyansky (URS)  •  1991: Martin Lopez-Zubero (ESP)  •  1994: Vladimir Selkov (RUS)  •  1998: Lenny Krayzelburg (USA)  •  2001: Aaron Peirsol (USA)  •  2003: Aaron Peirsol (USA)  •  2005: Aaron Peirsol (USA)  •  2007: Ryan Lochte (USA)  •  2009: Aaron Peirsol (USA)
European Champions in Men's 100 m Backstroke

1926: Gustav Fröhlich (GER) • 1927: Eskil Lundahl (SWE) • 1931: Gerhard Deutsch (GER) • 1934: John Besford (GBR) • 1938: Heinz Schlauch (GER) • 1947: Georges Vallerey (FRA) • 1950: Göran Larsson (SWE) • 1954: Gilbert Bozon (FRA) • 1958: Robert Christophe (FRA) • 1970: Roland Matthes (GDR) • 1974: Roland Matthes (GDR) • 1977: Miloslav Rolko (TCH) • 1981: Sándor Wladár (HUN) • 1983: Dirk Richter (GDR) • 1985: Igor Polyansky (URS) • 1987: Sergey Zabolotnov (URS) • 1989: Martin López-Zubero (ESP) • 1991: Martin López-Zubero (ESP) • 1993: Martin López-Zubero (ESP) • 1995: Vladimir Selkov (RUS) • 1997: Martin López-Zubero (ESP) • 1999: Stev Theloke (GER) • 2000: David Ortega (ESP) • 2002: Stev Theloke (GER) • 2004: László Cseh (HUN) • 2006: Arkady Vyatchanin (RUS) • 2008: Markus Rogan (AUT)
European Champions in Men's 200 m Backstroke

1962: Leonid Barbier (URS) • 1966: Yuriy Gromak (URS) • 1970: Roland Matthes (GDR) • 1974: Roland Matthes (GDR) • 1977: Zoltán Verrasztó (HUN) • 1981: Sándor Wladár (HUN) • 1983: Sergey Zabolotnov (URS) • 1985: Igor Polyansky (URS) • 1987: Sergey Zabolotnov (URS) • 1989: Stefano Battistelli (ITA) • 1991: Martin López-Zubero (ESP) • 1993: Vladimir Selkov (RUS) • 1995: Vladimir Selkov (RUS) • 1997: Vladimir Selkov (RUS) • 1999: Ralf Braun (GER) • 2000: Gordan Kožulj (CRO) • 2002: Gordan Kožulj (CRO) • 2004: Markus Rogan (AUT) • 2006: Arkady Vyatchanin (RUS) • 2008: Markus Rogan (AUT)







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