Mandy WOTZEL

Mandy Wötzel started her pairs career with Axel Rauschenbach, later husband of Anett Pötzsch, and they placed eighth at the 1992 Albertville Winter Games. In 1989 and 1990 they became the last pairs champions in the former GDR before German reunification, while in 1989 they were runners-up at the European Championships.

Wötzel then switched partners to Ingo Steuer as Rauschenbach ended his skating career. Wötzel and Steuer won the bronze medal in 1998 at Nagano, and won the 1997 World Championships, after having been runners-up in 1996. They also earned gold medals at the 1995 European Championships, were runners-up in 1993, 1996 and 1997, and won German Championships in 1993, and 1995-97. Their best season was likely 1996-97 when they won, in addition to the World and German titles, the Champion Series Final, Skate Canada, the Russian Cup, and the Nations Cup. They retired from Olympic-style competition after the Nagano Olympics and skated in shows and professional events. In 2006 Wötzel, together with boxer Sven Ottke, took part in the German TV show “Dancing on Ice.” One year later she emigrated to Melbourne, Australia.