Photo: Bert Verhoeff for Anefo / CC BY-SA 3.0 nl (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Three golds at Montreal 1976 and fourteen world records is a staggering haul, and Ulrike Richter sits among the great backstrokers of her era. I can't discuss East German swimming without acknowledging the shadows that hung over that machine, yet the times she posted in the pool were undeniably real and the talent self-evident. What strikes me most is the sheer weight she carried as a teenager dominating the world stage. Her induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame feels earned. I prefer to honor the courage it took to rewrite the record books at seventeen rather than reduce her story to politics alone.
Overview
Ulrike Richter (later Schmidt, born 17 June 1959) is a German former swimmer who competed for East Germany in the 1970s. At the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal she won three gold medals. She received two gold medals at the 1973 World Aquatics Championships, and two in 1975. Richter set 14 world records during her career, in 100 m backstroke, 200 m backstroke, and medley relay.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ulrike Richter
- Name (Japanese)
- ウルリケ・リヒター
- Reading
- うるりけ・りひたー
- Born
- June 17, 1959 (age 66)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Boar
- Origin
- Görlitz, Saxony, Germany
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 173 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- swimmer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- Patriotic Order of Merit in Gold
- International Swimming Hall of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Swimmer — see all → · More people from Germany →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.