Sepp SCHÖNMETZLER

West German figure skater Sepp Schönmetzler finished 12th in men’s singles at the 1964 Innsbruck Winter Games. He also participated in the World Championships from 1962-65 with his best result a seventh in 1963. Between 1961 and 1965 he started at the European Championships, narrowly missing the podium in 1963 and 1964, placing fifth and fourth, respectively. In 1962 and 1965 Schönmetzler was West German champion.

In 1965, Schönmetzler turned professional and toured with the Ice Capades for two years. From 1967-70 he studied photography in Köln (Cologne) and then, starting in 1976, sport science at the German sport-college in Köln, graduating in both subjects. He then started a career as a skating coach at Kölner EK and worked as a freelance sports journalist and photographer for the German boulevard newspaper BILD. He also became a certified tennis coach.

From 1979-91 Schönmetzler worked as a scientific employee at the German sports college in Köln. Besides this job he was engaged by TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen as a skating coach from 1983-86, as national coach in Austria from 1986-87, and then head coach of TuS Wiehl beginning 1988. He also worked as a freelance coach, sports journalist and sport event manager. Schönmetzler produced the German figure skating magazine Eissport-Magazin.