Kurt Bendlin
World Athletics is deeply saddened to hear that Kurt Bendlin, who broke the decathlon world record in 1967, died on Thursday (29) at the age of 81.
The West German athlete also earned Olympic bronze in 1968 and won national decathlon titles in 1965, 1967, 1971 and 1974.
Born in May 1943 in Massort, Germany (now Stalmierz in Poland), Bendlin first excelled in the javelin and earned medals in that event in national age-group championships. The decathlon soon became his main focus, though, and he won his first of four German titles in that event in 1965 at the age of 22.
Despite undergoing two meniscus operations in 1966, he returned to action in 1967 and broke the decathlon world record with 8319 (8235 on today’s scoring tables). Although it was broken two years later by USA’s Bill Toomey, Bendlin’s mark stood as a German record until 1976.
Bendlin earned Olympic bronze behind Toomey in 1968, scoring 8064 to the US athlete’s 8193.
He scored a world-leading 8244 in 1971 to win his third German title. He went on to compete at the European Championships but was forced to withdraw after nine events. He won his fourth and final German decathlon title in 1974.
Outside of athletics, he worked as a policeman and physical education teacher. He later organised outdoor camps and training courses for managers, and published the book ‘Fitness for Managers’.
In 1967, the year he broke the world record, he was voted German Sportsman of the Year.
World Athletics