Leipziger shaped judo in Germany

Leipzig. The memories of judo trainer Norbert Littkopf will remain. “He was a great role model for me – and sometimes a bit like a foster father,” says Annett Böhm with emotion. Last Thursday she visited her former trainer in Schkeuditz, and a day later the 80-year-old died after a long, serious illness. Littkopf had shaped sport in Leipzig, Germany and Europe for decades, held the position of women’s national coach from 1990 to 2008 and led his athletes to a total of 82 international medals. “It is an incredibly great loss. “His life’s work is outstanding, he has achieved so much in this sport,” says Böhm, who won Olympic bronze in Athens in 2004 with the support of her coach.

Littkopf came to Leipzig from Greifswald in 1969 and received his sports diploma as a trainer at the DHfK. After his studies, the former judoka, who had some success at national level, initially devoted himself to the youth sector before training the male elite in Leipzig. After reunification, he took over the position of national women’s coach and shaped the sport for 18 years. For his work, he was awarded several times as Europe’s Coach of the Year. Among other things, he led Yvonne Bönisch to Olympic victory in Athens in 2004 and Johanna Hagn to the World Championships, Annett Böhm celebrated Olympic bronze and World Cup bronze, and Katja Gerber became four-time European champion. The list goes on almost endlessly – but what his protégés remember today is not just the successes.

Littkopf brought all athletes together with music

“He always treated and respected all female athletes as equals. When we athletes won medals, he didn’t push himself into the spotlight, but rather allowed us to enjoy the moment,” says Böhm. She always had a warm and good relationship with Littkopf and always maintained contact even after their mutual career ended in 2008. The 44-year-old now adopts many of the things he exemplified as a trainer for himself: “As a trainer he was very disciplined, very goal-oriented and at the same time very warm, calm and controlled. I always found him to be fair, but he also knew how hard it took to get to the top.”

And Littkopf knew that there needed to be a balance to sport. The trainer had found this in music, played a variety of instruments and knew how to lighten up the joint courses. “He had the special talent of uniting everyone with his music. No matter where there was a piano, he would sit at it, there was always a guitar or an accordion in the car. And he planned evenings in the training camp where the whole group got together and could forget that they were actually competitors,” remembers Böhm.

Littkopf’s training methods live on

“’Nobsch’ was always there for us, was on the mat for us at 7 a.m., and always looked after us,” remembers Katja Gerber, who, together with Böhm, regularly visited her former trainer. “We often visited him, grilled together, told old stories and sang songs,” reports the European champion sadly. Her former coach has become “part of the family” over the years. A part that will never completely disappear. “When I stand on the mat and train the children, I do a lot of the same things that he did and say sayings that he also used. He is always with us.”

The German Judo Association also found suitable words to say goodbye in a statement: “Judo Germany bows deeply to Norbert Littkopf. Our sincere condolences go out to his wife Marlies and his family.”

LVZ