Erika Weinstein
Erika Weinstein (born Götz; 1950, Schweinfurt) is a retired West German sprinter and hurdler who specialized in the 400 meters and 400 meters hurdles during the 1970s, winning two European indoor relay titles and setting three German records in the hurdles.1
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1950, Schweinfurt, Bavaria; listed at 172 cm / 59 kg by Olympedia1 |
| Club | TuS 04 Leverkusen, later TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen1 |
| German records, 400 m hurdles | 58.4 s (1973), 57.21 s (29 May 1977, Dortmund), 57.06 s (4 June 1977, Sochi)2 |
| Personal bests | 400 m hurdles 56.60 s (28 May 1978); 400 m 53.93 s (2 July 1973, Stockholm); 400 m short track 54.23 s (11 March 1973, Rotterdam)3 |
| Olympic Games | Named to the West German 4 × 400 m relay squad in 1972 and 1976; did not start in either final1 |
Early career and indoor medals
Weinstein emerged internationally at the 1972 European Indoor Championships in Grenoble.
Her indoor 400 m best of 54.23 s was set at the Rotterdam Ahoy hall on 11 March 1973, during those European championships.3
Relay record
On 18 July 1975 at Durham, North Carolina, the West German quartet of Christiane Krause, Dagmar Jost, Weinstein, and Elke Barth ran 3:30.3 (3:30.25) in an international match against the United States, a mark listed in the IAAF world records progression book for the 4 × 440 yards relay.4 She also ran the third leg for West Germany in the 1975 European Cup final, clocking 52.2 for her lap.5
400 meters hurdles
The women's 400 m hurdles was a young event in this period: the first documented race took place in 1971, the IAAF ratified the event in 1974, and the first official world record, 56.51 s by Krystyna Kacperczyk, was set in July 1974.6 Weinstein set the first German record in the event, 58.4 s on 29 July 1973 in Frankfurt, and after electronic timing was introduced she twice bettered the federal record: 57.21 s on 29 May 1977 in Dortmund and 57.06 s on 4 June 1977 in Sochi.2
Her career best of 56.60 s came on 28 May 1978, and as of 6 July 1978 it placed her sixth on the world all-time list, behind Karin Rossley's 55.63 s world best.3 • 7
National titles
She also finished second in the 400 m hurdles in 1978 and 1979 and third in 1982, with Silvia Hollmann taking the title in each of those years.8
Olympics
Weinstein was entered for the West German 4 × 400 m relay squad at both the 1972 Munich and 1976 Montreal Olympics, but is listed as a non-starter in each case, with West Germany winning bronze in the event in 1972 and qualifying for the final in 1976.1 • 9
References
- Olympedia – Erika Weinstein
- Sport-Komplett – Deutsche Rekorde, Leichtathletik (Damen) 3
- World Athletics – Erika Weinstein profile
- IAAF World Records Progression 2015
- Athletics Weekly, 30 August 1975
- World Athletics – The 400m Hurdles
- Athletics Weekly, 22 July 1978
- Sport-Komplett – Deutsche Meisterschaften 400m Hürden Damen
- Olympedia, 4 × 400 metres Relay, Women
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 › European quarter-milers
Initially written Oct 20, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026
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