When Olympic stars trained in Schongau: Wolfgang Filser remembers the 1972 Olympic Games

Created: 02/26/2022, 10:00 am

Wolfgang Filser honors his original poster for the 1972 Olympic Games.

© Gallmetzer

Even before the Olympic Games opened in 1972, Wolfgang Filser's memories of the major event begin.

With a special training in Schongau.

Altenstadt/Schongau – Athletics was and is Wolfgang Filser's passion.

Many athletes have benefited from his knowledge over the past 50 years.

As early as the 1970s, he trained young athletes in Schongau and was also active as a decathlete.

His numerous successes earned him the honor of being allowed to travel to Munich as a participant in test competitions that took place in 1970/71.

"There were also many later Olympic participants," Filser recalls of this extraordinary experience in the Dante Stadium.

"Once I had to do 30 starts in a row," says the 77-year-old with a grin.

Because the event was about, among other things, selecting and training the later competition judges.

This also included practicing the starts.

The later Olympic gold winner Ulrike Meyfarth trained in Schongau

Grabbed by Olympic fever, the man from Schongau found out about a secret training camp in his hometown shortly before the games.

Renate Gärtner, Ellen Mundinger and the later Olympic gold winner Ulrike Meyfarth used the facility in the local sports hall, which at the time offered the most modern equipment for track and field athletes in the region.

"It was important that they could train completely undisturbed," explains Wolfgang Filser.

Therefore, the training took place unnoticed by the public.

But Filser sensed his chance: Since he had good relations with the caretaker as a coach, a door was opened for him and he was allowed to observe the training of the top athletes with their national coach twice from a staircase.

"It was just incredible to see the best high jumpers in Germany," he still beams when he thinks back to it.

"I had a pad with me and wrote down the training methods very precisely," he wanted to learn from the prominent guests.

He then implemented these new insights as a trainer himself.

In Munich as a spectator

Shortly thereafter, the time had come: the Olympic Games were opened.

“I was there as a spectator in Munich on September 6th and 7th,” says Wolfgang Filser, looking at the table in front of him on which lie the slightly yellowed tickets that secured entry to the Olympic Stadium 50 years ago.

Of course, it was time for the athletics competitions.

He wasn't there when Meyfahrth won gold, but he's still impressed by the performance of the then 16-year-old: "It was simply a sensation." He also followed the terrible attack in the media.

Continuing the games was the only right decision for him.

Filser, who now lives in Altenstadt, was happy to be at the Olympic site after the Olympic Games.

In his own further education and training or with his numerous protégés, whom he has supported in his career as a trainer.

He is still active today and would like to “accompany everyone to their own personal Olympics”.

Whether this is a district championship or a nationwide competition is completely irrelevant.

"It just gives me great pleasure to pass on experiences to young people."

And if the path occasionally leads to the Munich Olympic grounds, this joy is of course particularly great: "There is always a bit of tingling there."

You can also report your Olympic memories to locales@schongauernachrichten.de or Tel. 08861/92122.