Steffi NERIUS

Steffi Nerius started her outstanding sport career as a volleyball player at Dynamo Saßnitz in East Germany but when she realized she was too short for a career in that sport, she turned to the javelin, first learning the event from her mother Gerlinde Lindemann who had also been a javelin thrower. Beginning in 1986 Nerius trained at the sports school at Rostock. After the reunification of Germany she joined Bayer Leverkusen for the better training facilities.

Her first international appearance came in 1991 with her third place at the European Junior Championships. She took part in four consecutive Olympics between 1996 and 2008, placing fourth in 2000 and winning silver in 2004, and won three consecutive bronze medals at the World Championships in 2003, 2005 and 2007, before winning the title in 2009 in front of her home crowd in Berlin. She was European Champion in 2006, and won four consecutive German Championships (2003-2006). She has done graduate studies as a sport teacher and coach of disabled sportsmen, working at her club, Bayer Leverkusen, and serving on the staff at the Paralympics since Athens. She is considered one of the most popular German athletes, always quick with a smile. She was especially known for her headbands with which she greated the respective audience and organizers.

In her last international competition year after 18 years of high level sports in 2009 she was elected "Athlete of the Year" and "German Sportswoman of the Year".

Personal Bests: JT (old) – 69.42 (1996), JT (new) – 68.34 (2008).