Christine BODNER-LASER

Christine Bodner-Laser was East German Champion in 1969 in the indoor 4 x 1 lap relay, in the 1972 and 1975 pentathlon, and in the 1980 indoor pentathlon. The 1976 Olympic competition was the closest international competition ever in women’s multi-events. After four events, 62 points separated the top six places, with her teammate Siegrun Siegl in seventh place, 70 points behind the leader, 1974 European Champion Nadiya Tkachenko. In the final event, 200 meters, Siegl bettered the field with 23.09 seconds, almost 4/10ths faster than Bodner-Laser, the second fastest runner. That moved Siegl and Bodner-Laser into a tie with 4,745 points, but based on the rules for multi-events, Siegl was declared the gold medalist because she had bettered Bodner-Laser in three of the five events, the tie-breaker. In 1972 she had finfished fourth and in 1980 she withdraw after failing a height in the high jump.

Christine Bodner married the non-Olympian Jürgen Laser, 1973 East German Champion over 400 m hurdles, in 1974,. She competed in 1976 and 1980 under his name and in 1972 under her maiden name of Bodner. She later became a graduate sports teacher at Weimar.

Personal Bests: Pen76 – 4745 (1976); Pen80 – 4724 (1980).