Biography of Lothar Thoms

Lothar Thoms (born 18 May 1956 in Guben; died 5 November 2017 in Forst (Lausitz)) was an East German track cyclist. His event was the 1,000 metres time trial on the track. In 1980 he won Olympic gold in Moscow, and between 1977 and 1981 he became world champion in the event four times.

SC Cottbus and track cycling

Thoms competed for SC Cottbus. The 1,000 metres time trial required a specific kind of rider: an explosive start, high speed over two laps and the ability to finish the final metres cleanly despite fading strength. This format matched Thoms's sporting abilities. His career belonged to a period in which East German track cycling won many international titles and Cottbus had an environment with many results at world level.

World titles in the kilometre

Before the Olympic Games, Thoms had already built a series of results. He won the world title in the 1,000 metres time trial in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1981. Further World Championship medals followed: silver in 1982 and bronze in 1983. These results show rare consistency in an event that leaves little room for error and often decides places by fractions of a second.

Moscow 1980

On 22 July 1980 Thoms rode to gold at the Olympic Games in Moscow. His time of 1:02.955 was recognized as an indoor world record and, according to Olympedia, remained the fastest recorded time in the format until 1990. The victory was clear; Thoms finished almost two seconds ahead of the field. For East Germany the medal was part of a successful track cycling performance, and for Thoms it was the sporting high point of his career.

Recognition and later work

In 1981 Thoms was elected East German Sportsman of the Year; Olympedia also lists him as World Cyclist of the Year by the UCI. After the end of his sporting career he first worked in sports administration in the GDR. Later he worked as a physiotherapist and administrative employee. His life after elite sport therefore remained rooted in Cottbus and Lusatia.

Later years and death

In later years Thoms had health problems. According to dpa and other sources, he died after a long serious illness at the hospital in Forst. Lothar Thoms was 61 years old. His name remains connected with a short, tightly measured race: one kilometre on the track that became an Olympic gold ride in Moscow in 1980.