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Roland Brückner
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gymmedia :
Actually, it seems quite sensible; even
though the Berlin Olympic Champion on floor in Moskow 1980 and
World Champion in Fort Worth 1979 has put plenty of effort and
built up very much in his chosen hometown Süssen, close to Ulm:
He goes to where clear desicions in favour if his sport are made.
Unfortunately, this happens decreasingly in Germany.
Roland
Brückner
just signed a coaching contract at the
high performance centre NKL in Liestal, close to Basel in the
northern part of Switzerland. |
From
the beginning of the coming year 2002
on he will work there as coach at the side of former GDR coach Dieter
Hofmann who fought as worldwidely acclaimed strategist with the last Olympic
GDR squad against the "gymnastics nation no. 1"
UdSSR for gold and won silver in 1988. As consequence of the political
circumstances during the German Wendezeit he prefered to move to
Switzerland and to start over again after almost 50 years. In Switzerland,
too, the convinced socialist Hofmann had not only easy times. In the
course of the years the gymnastics strategist won respect of his complete
sphere of activity due to his undisputed competence, his hard work, and
the obvious results. For gymnastics Switzerland realised what kind of
jewel they had brought into their country...!
Meanwhile,
the NKL has become one of the leading national junior centres,
mainly in the male area. Past spring there was an impressive jubilee
celebration because of Dieter Hofman's 60th birthday (look
at
GYMmedia Bericht vom 20.03.01).
At this time the battle-scarred old fellow thought about the
situation - that there are only 5 years left before the age of
retirement, and that one has to care for the working in of an
established partner and successor in good time. Dieter
Hofmann had talked to some "appropriate" candidates for
some time already, but then nobody, who would have been good
enough for him, wanted to give up his job for a new beginning...
Roland Brückner, who stayed as guest in Liestal, was one name on his list of
candidates. Here, the first talks took place, but an immediate
promise was not made, for "Kimmi"
- as he was called by his friends some time ago - is a very
responsible man who did not want to leave surprisingly an
unprepared hometown. |
Brückner, Hofmann:
German Gymnastics-Coach-Dream-Team in Switzerland
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However
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there were clear signs in the private situation that the children are
grown up:
"...and that this is again a huge challenge which I would like to face
at the side of such an established man like Dieter Hofmann who always in
his life as coach knew what he did", so Roland Brückner after
signing the contract. Furthermore, there are realistic plans to enlarge
the NKL centre with an additional building to the gym. This is already defacto
decided and supported by the region - "only" further 2 million
Swiss Franken have to be raised.
World Champion 1979 |
Roland
Brückner
Olympic
Games:
>1976:
Bronze Team (GDR)
4.Floor
>1980: Gold Floor,
Silver Team;
Bronze Vault; Bronze P.bars;
World
Championships:
1976:
Bronze Team;
1979: Gold Floor
World Cup:
1977: 3.Vault
1978: 1.Floor; 2.Vault
1980: 1.Floor;1.P.horse;1.Vault
European
Championships:
1981: 1.
Floor |
...
as coach for talents in Berlin,
.. here in 1987 together with later German Champion Anke
Schönfelder |
Therefore,
it appears sensible to develop step by step the female area that was still
behind the male one. For Roland
Brückner is a man who has learnt the coaching "ABC" in the
junior area of his former club SC "Dynamo"
Berlin which is one of the most succesful clubs worldwide in the history
of women's gymnastics.
"Certainly, there is a little bit of melancholy - even though Liestal
is right behind the German border - that challenges
with prospect to success as coach in our sport Artistic Gymnastics can
only rarely be found in Germany in this times", so
Roland Brückner who at the moment is busy to prepare everything for his
successor in Süssen and to secure good start conditions.
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Eckhard
Herholz
(gymmedia)
(Translation: Florian
Schmid-Sorg)
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