Quick Facts
Biography
Ulf Béla Timmermann (born 1 November 1962 in East Berlin) is a German shot putter who broke many world records during the 1980s and is the first and one of only two people to ever throw over 23 metres (along with Randy Barnes).
Timmermann was born in Berlin to an athletic family and took up shot put at 13. He broke his first world record in 1985 with a throw of 22.62 meters. On 22 May 1988 he became the first person to throw over 23 meters with a throw of 23.06 meters at Chania, Greece.
He won gold for East Germany at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, ahead of Randy Barnes of the U.S.. The fourth place throw at this competition would have won every previous Olympics in the shot put. At the 1992 Olympics he finished a disappointing fifth.
Timmermann is the farthest thrower of all time in the shot put using the glide technique. He also has the most 22m+ competitions of any shot putter, at 16. His coach was Mr Werner Goldmann who is currently coaching shot put and discus throw in Berlin.