Peter "Sendusch" Sendel
Born: 06.03.1972
Peter Sendel
CURRENT
I ended my sporting career "Auf Schalke" in 2004.
Now I work as a biathlon coach (soldier).
Greatest successes
1998 Olympic Gold in the relay, Nagano
2002 Olympic Silver in the relay, Salt Lake City
2 x World Championship Gold 1997 und 2003
2 x World Championship Silver 1996 und 1997
2 x World Championship bronze 1994 und 2000
13 x World Cup Gold (inkl. Staffeln)
13 x World Cup Silver (inkl. Staffeln)
7 x World Cup Bronze (inkl. Staffeln)
228 World Cup races, of which 85 x Top 10
13 x German Champion
2 x Silver bay leaf
the Cross of Honour of the German Armed Forces in Gold
Family
Married, 1 daughter and 2 sons
Motto
Stay yourself.
Your Oberhof
My entire youth and my entire working life is connected to Oberhof. I was allowed to attend the children's and youth sports school at the age of 12. After school and an apprenticeship, I went straight to the Bundeswehr sports support group at the Grenzadler in Oberhof.I've been a sports soldier there since 1991, and now I'm a coach.
What was your sporting career like?
I started skiing when I was about 3 years old in Großbreitenbach, my hometown. Relatively early on, I decided to take up the sport of biathlon. This was certainly also due to my older siblings. My brother Jürgen was already a biathlete at the KJS in Oberhof and my sister Ute was a marksman at the KJS in Zella-Mehlis. So my path to Oberhof was clearly marked.
At the age of 12, as the youngest in our family, I also went to the sports school in Oberhof. After hard but very enjoyable years at the KJS, I had my first successes. GDR champion, Spartakiades winner and then the first junior world championship victory in 1990 (at that time still for the GDR) were the successes with which everything began.
After winning the Junior World Championships with the relay team in 1991 and 1992, I made it into the German World Cup team in 1993. The first big highlight was certainly my participation in the Olympic Games in Lillehammer (1994). My first World Cup podium followed in the same year (Canmore, Canada team race).
So I was in the World Cup team for 12 years and was able to celebrate some of my successes in the World Cup together with great colleagues like Frank Luck, Sven Fischer, Steffen Hoos, Mark Kirchner, Jörn Wollschläger and Ali Wolf.
Who are your role models?
When I was young, Frank Ullrich and Mark Kirchner were my role models.
What was the most emotional moment of your sporting career?
It was certainly the Olympic victory in Nagano 1998. On that day everything I worked for and fought for as a child and later as a teenager "paid off". For my parents, who unfortunately passed away very early (1984 & 1989), this would certainly also have been an unforgettable moment. They were always my biggest fans. I'm sure they "saw" it somehow. Thank you Mum & Dad.
What was the biggest sporting disappointment for you?
That I wasn't allowed to run in the relay in Oberhof in 2004.
What are your goals for the future?
Health and family are the most important things. If that is given, everything else will follow by itself with diligence and determination.
... because it has enabled me to do and be everything I am now. Thank you Oberhof
