Manfred Schnelldorfer

German figure skater in the singles event who was the 1964 Olympic champion, the 1964 World champion, and an eight-time German national champion.

Manfred Schnelldorfer won his first figure skating championship at the age of eight. His mother had left the child with an American after the end of the war and placed him in the care of the Red Cross. Schnelldorfer then grew up in a children's home in Schliersee. His father only found him there again in 1946.

The highlight of his career was winning the gold medal in men's figure skating at the 1964 Olympic Games in Innsbruck. Manfred Schnelldorfer's Olympic victory came as a surprise. The actual favorite was Alain Calmat from France, who was European Champion from 1962 to 1964 and also Vice World Champion in 1963. Schnelldorfer is still the only German Olympic champion in men's figure skating.

He received the Silver Laurel Leaf for this achievement on December 11, 1964. In the same year, Schnelldorfer ended his career at the age of just 21.

In addition to figure skating, he also practiced roller figure skating and came third in the men's world championships in 1958. Schnelldorfer is considered the discoverer of figure skaters Rudi Cerne and Norbert Schramm.

Schnelldorfer is married and the father of two sons and a daughter.