Farewell to "HGW": Hans Günter Winkler: Germany's most successful obstacle jump is dead

of 2007. Hans-Günter Winkler was 80 years old, visiting him in Warendorf, the place with his performance centers for the cavalry. The reason for the visit is a series on what happened to the Munich medal winners in 1972 – Winkler also picked up the gold with the team once again, and his fifth – because he became so. With him, we knew it: he was always there, organized equestrian tournaments, he was a kind of gray eminence. He was for his sport. Nevertheless: Legends we want to know.

HGW received on his stud, which could have been a campaign estate of an English TV series. He was wearing a tweed jacket, his American wife, Debbie, was serving coffee in a silver jug ​​and biscuits, sitting by the window and watching the stables, pastures and rides during the interview. Debbie was Winkler's fourth wife, taller and 33 years younger than him. What she combined was a kind of equestrian nobility, a mission.

A woman accidentally dies

Years later, in February 2011, Debbie Winkler was killed in a riding accident in Warendorf – a more cynical cruelty can not be imagined

In 2007, the Winkler's world was doing pretty well. He said that he had abandoned riding because of the discs. "But I still play tennis a lot, and believe me, I run every ball."

One question for him was, "Do you know exactly where your Olympic medals are?" A surprising discovery after Meetings with other Olympic champions was that many maintain a loose relationship at the highest price that they have won. There is gold, silver and bronze in the living room drawers that are no longer open.

HGW was a little piqued on this issue and the explanatory background. Should he be embarrbaded by the reward for extraordinary performance? "I'm asking you," he said, "come along."

We entered a room without a window. It was air conditioned, a kind of humidor for all its trophies. Medals, trophies, plaques, all made of special metals. And that was not all. HGW had an indoor pool, the water was draining, it had carpeted the once tiled walls – that was following its price collection. A vain man? Absolutely. But he stayed there.

The story of Hans-Günter Winkler, 80, vigorous, determined, combative, entitled "His Eve is an afternoon". This was confirmed retrospectively, Hans-Günter Winkler was 91 years old. The Olympic champion five times died on Monday night. After a sudden cardiac arrest, he had already been admitted to the hospital, said the German Equestrian Federation (FN). "I had my time, it was my time, and it was a wonderful time – God was good with me," was his creed until the end.