View source for Dieter Baumann

{{short description|German long-distance runner}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{BLP sources|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Dieter Baumann
| image = Dieter Baumann 2017 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Baumann in 2017
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|9 February 1965}}
| birth_place = [[Blaustein]], West Germany
| headercolor = lightsteelblue
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{flag|Germany}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Barcelona]]|[[Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Men's 5000 metres|5000 metres]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1988 Summer Olympics|1988 Seoul]]|[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 5000 metres|5000 metres]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[European Championships in Athletics|European Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1994 European Championships in Athletics|1994 Helsinki]]|5000 metres}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1998 European Championships in Athletics|1998 Budapest]]|10,000 metres}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2002 European Championships in Athletics|2002 Munich]]|10,000 metres}}
}}
[[File:Dieter Baumann IMG 6425.jpg|thumb|262px|Baumann in 2017]]
'''Dieter Baumann''' ({{IPA|de|ˈdiːtɐ ˈbaʊ̯ˌman}}, {{Audio|De-Dieter Baumann.ogg|audio}}; born 9 February 1965) is a German former [[Athletics (sport)|athlete]] and 5000&nbsp;m Olympic champion at the [[1992 Summer Olympics]]. He also won the silver medal in the same event (5000&nbsp;m) at the [[1988 Summer Olympics]].

In 1999, Baumann tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug [[nandrolone]] and received a two-year suspension from athletic competition.

== Biography ==
Born in [[Blaustein]], [[West Germany]], Baumann was one of the few non-African athletes who were able to seriously challenge the African dominance of [[Middle distance track event|middle-distance running]] during the 1990s. Baumann was equally adept at both the 1500&nbsp;m and 5000&nbsp;m distances.

Although Baumann came second in the 3000&nbsp;m at the European Indoor Championships in 1987, few considered him a medal chance at the [[1988 Summer Olympics]]. The 5000&nbsp;m final at [[Seoul]] was won by [[John Ngugi]] from [[Kenya]] who broke away from the field early in the race. However, Baumann used his superior 1500&nbsp;m speed to outsprint the rest of the field in the final lap to win the silver medal. Baumann missed most of the 1990 season due to [[tendon]] trouble, but he returned in 1991 to finish fourth in the 5000&nbsp;m at the [[1991 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]] in [[Tokyo]]. At the end of the season, Baumann unexpectedly beat the Kenyan 5000&nbsp;m world champion [[Yobes Ondieki]] over 3000&nbsp;m in Cologne.

In early 1992, Baumann narrowly missed the 3000&nbsp;m world indoor record. In June, at a meeting in [[Seville]], he set a new German record over 5000&nbsp;m (13:09.03). At the Olympics in [[Barcelona]], the 5000&nbsp;m final started at a fast pace, but then slowed, increasing Baumann's advantage due to his finishing kick. However, he got boxed in amongst four African runners in the back straight of the last lap, and was only able to get out into the clear coming into the home straight. From there, Baumann launched into a devastating sprint to pass his opponents and win the gold medal. Later that year, Baumann pre-announced a world record attempt over 3000&nbsp;m for the meeting in Cologne. However, he did not win the race as [[Moses Kiptanui]] snatched the victory away by setting a new world record.

Baumann missed the next season due to injury, but was back at the [[1994 European Championships in Athletics#Track|European Championships]] in 1994. In the 5000&nbsp;m final, Baumann was always well placed in the field, and used his trademark devastating kick to outsprint [[Rob Denmark]] of the UK in the final lap to win the gold medal. At the [[1995 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]] in [[Gothenburg]], in the 5000&nbsp;m final, Baumann inexplicably lost contact with the leading group with three laps to go, and struggled home in a disappointing ninth place. However, a few days after the disappointment of Gothenburg, Baumann ran one of the fastest races in his career when he broke his national record (13:01.72) to come second in Zürich behind Haile Gebrselassie.

At the [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Olympic Games]] in [[Atlanta]], Baumann would find it a difficult challenge to successfully defend his Olympic title, because the other athletes had been setting much faster times than Baumann's during 1995 and 1996 seasons. But Baumann still managed to finish in a creditable fourth place.

On his third [[1997 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]] in [[Athens]], Baumann finished fifth in the 5000&nbsp;m. In Zürich, a few days later, he became the first European runner to break the 13-minute barrier when he finished in 12:54.70 min.

In the next year, he won a silver medal in 10,000&nbsp;m at the European Championships held in [[Budapest]]. He also tried to defend his title over 5000&nbsp;m but did not even come close to winning a medal. In one of his last great races, he set a new personal best over 3000&nbsp;m in [[Monte Carlo]] ([[Monaco]]) in 7:30.50 min in August 1998.

===Doping suspension===
On 19 October 1999, Baumann tested positive for [[nandrolone]] and received a two-year suspension, thus missing the [[2000 Summer Olympics]]. Baumann was voluntarily tested after the initial results by an independent institute. Extremely high levels of nandrolone continued to be found in the tests and the results of the tests fluctuated dramatically depending on which time of day Baumann was tested. After several weeks of voluntary tests, Baumann claimed that the results varied with the time of day because the nandrolone was in his toothpaste. The German Athletics Federation (DLV) stated that they believed Baumann that someone had manipulated his toothpaste and allowed him to start at the German championships where Baumann qualified for the Olympic Games in Sydney. However, the IAAF did not agree with that verdict and imposed a ban. Baumann tried to sue the IAAF before a German court but was unsuccessful. Those defending Baumann have pointed to the fact that the levels of nandrolone found in his body were completely abnormal for any athlete wishing to enhance his performance. Baumann's opponents argued that he had no conclusive proof for his version of the story and could not name a suspect.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nw.de/nachrichten/thema/21881377_Deutschlands-Top-Dopingfahnder-Fussball-hat-ein-Problem-mit-Doping.html|title=Deutschlands Top-Dopingfahnder: 'Fußball hat ein Problem mit Doping'|work=Thema|access-date=1 October 2018|language=de}}</ref>

After the ban, Baumann came back in 2002 at the age of 37 and won the silver medal at 10,000&nbsp;m at the [[2002 European Championships in Athletics#Track|European Championships]] in [[Munich]]. Baumann participated in the [[2003 World Championships in Athletics]] in Paris at 10,000&nbsp;m but did not finish the race. He retired in late 2003.

== Personal life ==
His daughter, [[Jackie Baumann]], is a hurdler.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{commons category-inline}}
* {{Official website|http://www.dieterbaumann.de/}}
* [http://www.leverkusen.com/whoiswho/whoiswho.php4?view=BaumannD Leverkusen who's who]
* {{World Athletics||name=Dieter Baumann}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{succession box|before={{flagicon|GER}} [[Michael Stich]]|title=[[German Sportspersonality of the year|German Sportsman of the Year]]|years=1992|after={{flagicon|GER}} [[Henry Maske]]}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box|before={{flagicon|MAR}} [[Saïd Aouita]]|title=[[3000 metres#Men.27s Seasons Best|Men's 3000 m Best Year Performance]]|years=1987|after={{flagicon|USA}} [[Sydney Maree]]}}
{{succession box|before={{flagicon|MAR}} [[Khalid Skah]]|title=[[3000 metres#Men.27s Seasons Best|Men's 3000 m Best Year Performance]]|years=1991|after={{flagicon|KEN}} [[Moses Kiptanui]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions 5000 m Men}}
{{Footer IAAF World Cup Champions 3000m Men}}
{{Footer European Champions 5000 m Men}}
{{Footer European Indoor Champions 3000m Men}}
{{German Athletics Champions in men's 1500 m}}
{{Footer WBYP 3000m Men}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baumann, Dieter}}
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Alb-Donau-Kreis]]
[[Category:Athletes from Tübingen (region)]]
[[Category:German men long-distance runners]]
[[Category:German men middle-distance runners]]
[[Category:German national athletics champions]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Doping cases in the sport of athletics]]
[[Category:German sportspeople in doping cases]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for West Germany]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Germany]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Germany]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for West Germany]]
[[Category:German masters athletes]]
[[Category:European Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Germany]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:World Athletics Indoor Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg]]
[[Category:West German Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:20th-century German sportsmen]]