Wolfgang Schmidt is a former German track and field athlete, who competed for East Germany at the 1976 Summer Olympics and won the silver medal in the discus throw. A former world record holder, he also won several medals at the European Championships in Athletics. Schmidt made headlines in 1982 due to his failed attempt to escape from East Germany. He later competed for the Federal Republic of Germany and won third place in the 1990 European Championships in Athletics. Born in Berlin, he competed for the SC Dynamo Berlin/ Sportvereinigung Dynamo. [More at Wikipedia]

January 16th, 1954 in East Berlin (Age 70)