Ortrun ENDERLEIN

Ortrun Enderlein is the younger sister of former East German motorcycle racer Klaus Enderlein. She started playing handball when young, but then moved to the luge club Traktor Oberwiesenthal, winning her first East German Championship in 1964, followed by titles in 1965 and 1968. In 1964 she won the Olympic gold medal with the best time on all four runs. Enderlein was World Champion in 1965 and 1967.

Favored at the 1968 Winter Olympics, she again appeared to have won the gold medal, but was disqualified with her East German teammates Anna-Maria Müller and Angela Knösel when it was discovered that they had illegally heated their runners. Enderlein retired from competition in 1969, married Dr. Bernd Zöphel and made her living as an engineer in a measurement company. From 1969-90 she was a member of the East Germany NOC.