On the death of ZDF sports reporter Poschmann: He allowed the silence that will be remembered

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Wolf-Dieter Poschmann in 2002 as a sports presenter for ZDF

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Boris Roessler / dpa

Thanks to Wolf-Dieter Poschmann, in front of the television that evening you knew exactly what the hour had struck.

"So hold on and write down: 8:34 pm and 59 seconds." On August 20, 2009, a wonderful summer evening in Berlin, there was something very special in the air in the Olympic Stadium, and Poschmann, ZDF's athletics reporter, anticipated it .

"It's the special moments, the great moments that stay in our memory, and it is very possible that we will experience one again now." 19.19 seconds later, Usain Bolt had lifted the world record of 200 meters into new dimensions, a great moment athletics, but it was also a great moment for athletics reporter Wolf-Dieter Poschmann.

Poschmann, who died on Monday at the age of 70.

He had already commented live on the 100-meter world record Bolts days before.

He released the runners from the starting block with the sentence: "The adrenaline is seething in your veins, and who knows what else." That was all it really needed to make it clear to everyone who was watching: Be careful, what happens here, can be a huge show, it can be a huge scam too.

Poschmann was someone who, when in doubt, usually decided to see the whole thing as a show. But who found the words for it that will be remembered. After the 100-meter world record, he accompanied Bolt, who danced on the track: "Party time in Berlin, you don't have to go to a club, of which there are many in this city."

Four days later, the 200-meter final. Poschmann feels the tingling in the air as soon as the finalists are introduced, and he manages to pass it on. After a false start by Frenchman David Alerte - "he can hardly wait to be let go" - he renews the time: "For those who want to update the second: 8.26 p.m. and 24 seconds." Then silence. Poschmann lets stand, almost to whisper: "The silence is almost frightening in the fully occupied stadium." heard of athletics, probably in all of the sport.

Bolt runs for 19.19 seconds, Poschmann calls after him over the last few meters: “Bolt is in another world.” Time stops at the new personal best, and Poschmann only asks: “Do I have to say that it is a world record? "He leaves out the answer for 10, 15 seconds and then resolves:" Of course it's a world record. "The stadium, it simmers, Bolt jokes with the mascot Berlino," Thunder Bolt, Lightning Bolt, Joke Bolt, Joke- Bolt, all of that «, and in the end the reporter finds his way back to what everyone thinks, almost with a sigh of regret:» And of course, of course there are questions. " is controversial.

Complaints about the working atmosphere

Controversial, yes, Poschmann himself was that too. When he was head of sports at ZDF, many complained about the working atmosphere. Several long-time editors have retired early under Poschmann, from Rainer Deike to Michael Palme and Sepp Ortmaier to Hermann Ohletz "Rustic" was described. He denied that himself, but in 2004 Poschmann handed over the post to Dieter Gruschwitz, officially the reason was the separation of administrative and journalistic tasks.

Poschmann then concentrated again on his real profession, athletics.

As a long-distance runner he had been active in the sport himself, the feeling for what was happening down there on the running track, in the jump pit or during the high jump, that probably also came from this.

But he has probably never let the television audience experience it as it did on that August evening.

After the fabulous run, when he handed over to his colleague Peter Leissl for the high jump, he said: "We're going back to sport." You can read a lot from this sentence, and that is also an art of reporting.