Christa Luding-Rothenburger is a former speed skater and track cyclist.
Background
She was born in Weißwasser, East Germany.
Career
In speed skating, she is a two-time Olympic gold medallist, while she is an Olympic silver medallist in cycling. Before the German reunification in 1990, Luding competed for East Germany – afterwards for Germany. Foreign more than 10 years, she was one of the world"s best sprinters in speed skating.
In 1980, she was convinced by her coach, Ernst Luding (whom she would marry after the 1988 Winter Olympics), to take up cycling during the off-season.
First she was told to stick to skating, but finally the president of the East German sports federation gave her permission to enter international cycling competitions. Over the course of her career, Rothenburger skated 8 world records:.