# Michael Hilgers
**Michael Hilgers** (born 1966 in [Mönchengladbach](https://www.edgepedia.org/monchengladbach)) is a German former field hockey forward who won the silver medal with [West Germany](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-germany) at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the gold medal with the unified German team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, scoring both German goals in the 1992 final against Australia.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/19007) He spent his club career with the Gladbacher HTC in his home city and later became a coach, the managing director of the Mönchengladbach Hockeypark, and a concert promoter.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/19007)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1966 in Mönchengladbach, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/19007) |
| Position and club | Forward; Gladbacher HTC, Mönchengladbach[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/19007) • [2](https://deinmg.de/2023/03/27/hockeyfieber-mit-micki-hilgers/) |
| International career | 162 caps (including 27 indoor) for West Germany and Germany, 1984 to 1993[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/19007) |
| Olympic medals | Silver, Seoul 1988 (West Germany); gold, Barcelona 1992 (Germany)[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/19007) |
| 1992 final | Scored both goals in the 2-1 win over Australia, in the 2nd and 59th minutes[3](https://fih.altiusrt.com/matches/1454) |
| Other titles | European Champion 1991; Champions Trophy winner 1986, 1987, and 1988[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/19007) • [2](https://deinmg.de/2023/03/27/hockeyfieber-mit-micki-hilgers/) |
## Early life and club career
Hilgers came from a hockey-oriented Mönchengladbach family and began intensive training at the age of six; his father Peter was a Bundesliga-level hockey referee and his mother played the sport for years.[4](https://www.munzinger.de/register/portrait/biographien/hilgers%20michael/01/2638) • [2](https://deinmg.de/2023/03/27/hockeyfieber-mit-micki-hilgers/) With the club he won the German field championship in 1981 and the German indoor title in 1988.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/19007)
## International career
Hilgers won 162 international caps between 1984 and 1993, 27 of them in indoor hockey.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/19007) The International Hockey Federation's match database records him in six senior competitions: the Champions Trophy tournaments of 1985, 1986, and 1989, the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, the 1990 World Cup in Lahore, and the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.[5](https://tms.fih.ch/index.php/people/11911)
**Seoul 1988.** Representing West Germany, Hilgers took part in the Olympic tournament of 18 September to 1 October 1988 and finished on the losing side of the final, in which Great Britain won 3-1.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/19007) • [5](https://tms.fih.ch/index.php/people/11911) The FIH scorer statistics credit him with two goals in the tournament.[6](https://tms.fih.ch/competitions/45/reports/scorers)
**Barcelona 1992.** Four years later he played for the re-unified German team, which reached the final against Australia on 8 August 1992 at the hockey stadium in Terrassa. Hilgers scored both German goals in the 2-1 win, the first after two minutes and the second in the 59th minute from a sharp-angle shot under the crossbar; both were recorded as field goals.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/19007) • [3](https://fih.altiusrt.com/matches/1454) • [7](https://hockey.de/VVI-web/Faszination/100Jahre.asp?lokal=DHB&monat=8&tag=8) The German Hockey Federation counts this as the country's second Olympic gold in men's hockey, following Munich 1972.[7](https://hockey.de/VVI-web/Faszination/100Jahre.asp?lokal=DHB&monat=8&tag=8) In the semifinal Germany had beaten Pakistan 2-1 after extra time.[7](https://hockey.de/VVI-web/Faszination/100Jahre.asp?lokal=DHB&monat=8&tag=8)
Between the two Games he was a European champion with Germany in 1991, when the title was decided in Paris, and won the Champions Trophy in 1986, 1987, and 1988.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/19007) • [8](https://www.rrk-online.de/hockey/chronhockey/emhock.htm)
## Recognition
For the 1992 gold medal, the team and all its players received the Silbernes Lorbeerblatt (Silver Bay Leaf), Germany's highest sports award; the presentation by Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker took place on 23 June 1993.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/19007)
## Life after playing
Hilgers coached the men's team of the Gladbacher HTC from 2006 to 2008.[2](https://deinmg.de/2023/03/27/hockeyfieber-mit-micki-hilgers/) He became managing director of the Mönchengladbach Hockeypark, now known as the SparkassenPark, a stadium opened in 2006 that hosted the 2006 Men's Field Hockey World Cup, at which Germany became world champion.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/19007) • [9](https://marketingclub-moenchengladbach.de/2026/09/20/nachbericht-20-jahre-sparkassenpark/) Independently of the park he works as a concert promoter, organizing around 250 concerts and festivals per year, including several open-air rock concerts.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/19007)
## References
1. [Michael Hilgers, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/19007)
2. [Hockey EM 2023 in Mönchengladbach: Interview mit Michael Hilgers, deinmg.de](https://deinmg.de/2023/03/27/hockeyfieber-mit-micki-hilgers/)
3. [1992 Mens Olympic Games, Final 1-2 match record, FIH Altius](https://fih.altiusrt.com/matches/1454)
4. [Michael Hilgers, Munzinger Biographie](https://www.munzinger.de/register/portrait/biographien/hilgers%20michael/01/2638)
5. [HILGERS Michael, International Hockey Federation TMS](https://tms.fih.ch/index.php/people/11911)
6. [1988 Mens Olympic Games, Individual Statistics - Goal Scorers, FIH TMS](https://tms.fih.ch/competitions/45/reports/scorers)
7. [8. August 1992: Zweites Olympia-Gold für Deutschland, Deutscher Hockey-Bund](https://hockey.de/VVI-web/Faszination/100Jahre.asp?lokal=DHB&monat=8&tag=8)
8. [Hockey-Europameisterschaften - deutsche Medaillenerfolge, RRK 08 Hockey](https://www.rrk-online.de/hockey/chronhockey/emhock.htm)
9. [Nachbericht / 20 Jahre SparkassenPark, Marketing Club Mönchengladbach](https://marketingclub-moenchengladbach.de/2026/09/20/nachbericht-20-jahre-sparkassenpark/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Hockey and remaining team sports › Field hockey › German field hockey players*
*Initially written Oct 21, 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