Anett Pötzsch

Anett Pötzsch (later Witt, now Rauschenbach, born 3 September 1960) is a German former figure skater. She is the 1980 Olympic champion, two-time World champion (1978, 1980), four-time European champion (1977–1980), and five-time East German champion (1976–1980).

Anett Pötzsch
Anett Pötzsch at the Blue Swords
Werner-Seelenbinder-Halle, Berlin; 18 November 1979
Personal information
Country representedEast Germany
Born (1960-09-03) 3 September 1960
Karl-Marx-Stadt, East Germany
Height1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Former coachJutta Müller, Gabriele Seyfert, Brigitte Schellhorn
Retired1980
Medal record
Representing  East Germany
Ladies' figure skating
Olympic Games
1980 Lake Placid Ladies' singles
World Championships
1980 DortmundLadies' singles
1978 OttawaLadies' singles
1979 ViennaLadies' singles
1977 TokyoLadies' singles
European Championships
1980 GothenburgLadies' singles
1979 ZagrebLadies' singles
1978 StrasbourgLadies' singles
1977 HelsinkiLadies' singles
1976 GenevaLadies' singles
1975 CopenhagenLadies' singles
Anett Pötzsch at the German Nationals 2006

Career

Pötzsch represented the GDR (East Germany) in the ladies events at international championships. Her first coach was Brigitte Schellhorn.[1] After Pötzsch was admitted into a sports academy, Gabriele Seyfert was assigned as her coach and later, Seyfert's mother, Jutta Müller, took over coaching duties.[1] She was the Olympic Champion in 1980 and world champion in 1978 and 1980. She also won the European title four times, from 1977 to 1980; and the East German title five times, from 1976 to 1980. In 1981, she announced her retirement, saying in 2011, "I had knee problems and I was not motivated because I had reached all my goals" but she said she later regretted her decision.[1]

Pötzsch was a judge at international skating events in the late 1980s but the ISU banned her after she appeared in Skates of Gold shows and Katarina Witt's film, Carmen.[1] The ISU restored her eligibility in 1994, along with that of professional skaters.[1] In the 1990s, Pötzsch worked at a bank but quit her job in 1999 in order to coach.[1] She coaches in Chemnitz, Germany, and in 2004 became an ISU technical specialist.[1] Her students include Daniel Dotzauer, the 2010 German Championships bronze medalist, and Sandy Hoffmann.

Personal life

Pötzsch was born in Karl-Marx-Stadt, GDR (today renamed Chemnitz, Germany). She married Axel Witt, the brother of fellow German figure skater Katarina Witt, but the couple divorced in 1990.[1] Their daughter, Claudia Rauschenbach, born in 1984, is the 2000 German pair skating champion with Robin Szolkowy.[1] In 1993, Pötzsch married Axel Rauschenbach, who is the father of her second daughter, Cindy, and stepfather to Claudia.[1]

Results
International
Event 71–72 72–73 73–74 74–75 75–76 76–77 77–78 78–79 79–80 80–81
Olympics4th1st
Worlds14th11th8th4th2nd1st2nd1st
Europeans8th7th3rd2nd1st1st1st1st
Blue Swords4th5th2nd2nd2nd1st1st1st
Prague Skate2nd
Golden Spin1st
Skate Canada2nd
National
East Germany4th3rd2nd2nd1st1st1st1st1st

References
  1. Kany, Klaus-Reinhold (6 May 2011). "Anett Pötzsch: Germany's First Golden Girl". IFS Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 September 2011.
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