Gerhard Stöck

Who was Gerhard Stöck?

Gerhard Stöck was a German athlete who competed mainly in the shot put and javelin throw events.

Gerhard Stöck was born in Kaiserswalde, Province of Posen, he represented Germany at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, earning a bronze medal in the shot put and a come-from-behind gold medal in the javelin throw.

In the shot put, Stöck was out performed by fellow German Hans Woellke and Finland's Sulo Bärlund, who won gold and silver medals respectively. Incidentally, Hans Woellke was the first German to win a gold medal in an Olympic track and field event.

In the javelin throw, there was a much more favorable outcome for Gerhard Stöck. After four rounds of throwing, Stöck found himself in fifth place; inspired by Adolf Hitler's arrival to the stadium and the wildly cheering fans, Stöck let fly with a tremendous throw of 71.84 meters to cement his championship.

During the Second World War, Stöck was a Lieutenant in the German Army, and was present at Stalingrad.