# Brigitte Rohde
**Brigitte Rohde** (later Brigitte Rohde-Köhn) is a retired East German sprinter, born in 1954 in Prenzlau, Brandenburg, who specialized in the 400 meters and 400 meters hurdles and won Olympic gold in the 4 × 400 meters relay at the 1976 Montréal Games, running the second leg.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69724) • [2](https://worldathletics.org/athletes/-/14357775)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1954 in Prenzlau, Brandenburg; full name Brigitte Rohde (-Köhn)[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69724) |
| Club | SC Neubrandenburg, Neubrandenburg (East Germany)[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69724) |
| Olympic result | Gold, 4 × 400 m relay, 1976 Montréal, second leg; non-starter (DNS) in the same event at the 1972 Munich Games[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69724) |
| 1976 relay time | 3:19.23 (31 July 1976, Olympic Stadium, Montréal), a time that stood as the world record before the 1980 Olympics[2](https://worldathletics.org/athletes/-/14357775) |
| Other relay titles | 1979 World Cup, 1974 European Championships, European Cups 1970, 1975, and 1979[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69724) |
| Personal bests | 400 m 50.26 (1976); 400 m hurdles 55.46 (1978); 400 m short track 52.95 (1974)[2](https://worldathletics.org/athletes/-/14357775) |
| Measurements | 171 cm / 65 kg[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69724) |
## Olympic career
Rohde was selected for the East German 4 × 400 m relay squad at the 1972 Munich Olympics but did not run, appearing in the results as a non-starter.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69724) In Montréal in 1976 she ran the second leg for East Germany, whose quartet of [Doris Maletzki](https://www.edgepedia.org/doris-maletzki), Brigitte Rohde, Ellen Streidt, and Christina Brehmer won in 3:19.23, ahead of the United States (3:22.81) and the Soviet Union (3:24.24).[3](https://parigi2024.coni.it/it/italia-team/i-giochi-del-passato/finalisti-all-time/finalisti_all_time/38.html)
## Titles in international relays and individual events
The relay was the core of her international record. With the East German 4 × 400 m team she won the 1974 European Championships in Rome, the 1979 World Cup, and European Cup titles in 1970, 1975, and 1979.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69724) [World Athletics](https://www.edgepedia.org/world-athletics) lists her as an Olympic champion, European champion, World (Continental) Cup winner, and European U20 champion.[2](https://worldathletics.org/athletes/-/14357775) At the 1970 European Junior Championships she won gold in the 4 × 400 m relay and bronze in the individual 400 m.[4](https://elitetrackr.com/es/athletes/brigitte-rohde-kohn-11229)
Individually she placed fourth in the 400 meters hurdles at the European Championships.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69724) Domestically she won East German titles in the 400 hurdles in 1974 (indoors), at 400 meters in 1975 and 1976, and with the 4 × 400 m relay in 1974.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69724) A contemporary report notes that she beat Ellen Streidt for the 1975 East German 400 m title in Erfurt.[5](https://athleticsweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/securepdfs/2025/06/April-30-1977-Vol-31-No-18.pdf)
## Personal bests
Her 400 m best of 50.26 was set on 1 May 1976 in Split, a mark that placed her among the fastest East German women over the distance; a February 1980 world list ranked it alongside the leading times of the era, behind [Marita Koch](https://www.edgepedia.org/marita-koch)'s 48.60 and Irena Szewińska's 49.28.[2](https://worldathletics.org/athletes/-/14357775) • [6](https://lynbrooksports.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/CTRN/wt%2Bfw_feb80.pdf) Her 400 m hurdles best was 55.46, run on 2 September 1978, and her best indoor (short track) 400 m was 52.95 from 9 March 1974.[2](https://worldathletics.org/athletes/-/14357775) Her fastest 1979 season over 400 m was 50.74, run on 29 July 1979 in Karl Marx Stadt, and her last listed major competition was the 1979 Montréal IAAF World Cup, where the relay ran 3:20.37.[4](https://elitetrackr.com/es/athletes/brigitte-rohde-kohn-11229)
## Life outside competition
Rohde was educated as a plant construction draftsperson.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69724) She competed for SC Neubrandenburg, the East German sports club based in that city.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69724)
## References
1. [Brigitte Rohde, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69724)
2. [Brigitte ROHDE-KÖHN, World Athletics profile](https://worldathletics.org/athletes/-/14357775)
3. [4x400 staffetta, Olympic finalists all-time, CONI Paris 2024](https://parigi2024.coni.it/it/italia-team/i-giochi-del-passato/finalisti-all-time/finalisti_all_time/38.html)
4. [Brigitte Rohde-Köhn profile, Elite Trackr](https://elitetrackr.com/es/athletes/brigitte-rohde-kohn-11229)
5. [Athletics Weekly, 30 April 1977 (Vol. 31 No. 18)](https://athleticsweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/securepdfs/2025/06/April-30-1977-Vol-31-No-18.pdf)
6. [All-Time World List, 400 metres women, February 1980](https://lynbrooksports.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/CTRN/wt%2Bfw_feb80.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Athletics, gymnastics, and strength sports › Athletes of track and field and road running › Sprinters and hurdlers › Quarter-mile runners › Women's Olympic 400 m medalists*
*Initially written Oct 20, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license