German boxing is mourning the loss of Manfred Wolke. Henry Maske’s former successful coach died last Wednesday at the age of 81 after a long, serious illness in his hometown of Frankfurt/Oder, as Maske confirmed to the German Press Agency on Monday, citing his family.
The “Welt” newspaper and the radio station 91.7 Oderwelle initially reported on the incident. Wolke leaves behind his wife and three children.
Wolke was successful both as an athlete and as a trainer. As a welterweight, he won Olympic gold in Mexico City in 1968. He was also European runner-up in 1967 and 1971. At the 1972 Summer Games in Munich, he carried the GDR flag into the Olympic Stadium.
With a mask to the top
However, Wolke became famous alongside Henry Maske, whom he made Olympic middleweight champion in Seoul in 1988 and then world champion (light heavyweight) – both among amateurs and later among professionals. Wolke also led featherweight Rudi Fink to Olympic gold in Moscow in 1980.
Trainer Manfred Wolke (left) hugs boxer Henry Maske after his victory over American Virgil Hill on March 31, 2007 in the Olympiahalle in Munich.dpa
With Maske, Wolke triggered a boxing boom in Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall. He also brought heavyweight Axel Schulz, whom he had also coached during his amateur days, into the professional ranks despite much resistance.
Wolke later trained professionals such as Danilo Häußler, 2001 European super middleweight champion, and Timo Hoffmann, Kai Kurzawa, Enad Licina and Artur Hein.
