Josef WAITZER

Josef Waitzer was eliminated in qualifying at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics in the discus and javelin. In pentathlon he dropped out after two phases. In 1916, Waitzer became assistant coach to German national coach Alvin Kraenzlein, and in 1924 he was made Swiss national coach, and then in 1928 Empire coach of the German athletes. He also coached the wrestler Jean Földeak.

Waitzer, a bank clerk by profession, founded the Athletics Department of TSV 1860 München in 1908. During World War I he was captured in the French Alps in 1916. After the war he earned his living by painting Alpine pictures until he was hired as Reich sports teacher at the German Athletics Federation in 1925 until World War II. After the war, he became a sports official, serving from 1948-49 as Press Secretary of the German Athletics Committee, from 1949-51 as teaching coordinator at the German Athletics Association, from 1948-1950 and 1951-1953 as teaching coordinator at the Bavarian Athletics Association, and after 1950 he was conditioning coach of the German wrestlers.

In 1926 Waitzer was awarded the Hanns-Brown Memorial Award, and in 1950 he received the DLV Honorary Ring. He published numerous teaching and sports books, among others in 1911 Discus and Spin Ball Throwing (1911), in 1914 with Kraenzlein How to Train in Athletics, in 1928 with Wilhelm Dörr World Olympics 1928 in Words and Pictures, in 1936 Running Schools, Short Distance Running, Relay Race, in 1937 Sporty Body School, and in 1940, Training School.

Personal Bests: DT – 41.70 (1910); JT – unknown.