Manfred Wolke was born 83 years ago today. Olympic champion in 1968, later cult trainer of Henry Maske. A name that still stands for discipline today.
Manfred Wolke was born on January 14, 1943 in Potsdam-Babelsberg. Today, the Olympic boxing champion would be 83 years old. Wolke left his mark on German boxing for decades. First as an active boxer. Later as a trainer and mentor.
He grew up as the youngest of ten children, without a father who was killed in the war. He trained as a locomotive fitter and milling cutter before sport finally took hold of him. At first he played soccer for BSG Motor Babelsberg, but in 1959 he switched to the boxing section. In 1965, he joined ASK Vorwärts Berlin, where competitive sport and the system were closely intertwined. He received a military rank and was a member of the SED until 1989. In 1969, he moved to Frankfurt (Oder) to ASK Vorwärts, which later became his sporting home.
Gold 1968 and GDR figurehead
Wolke collects national titles and international medals. He became GDR welterweight champion from 1967 to 1970 and half-middleweight champion in 1971. He won silver at the European Championships in 1967 and 1971. He experienced his greatest moment in Mexico City in 1968, when he won Olympic gold and defeated Joseph Bessala in the final. He later described this triumph as decisive for the rest of his sporting life, as it gave him self-confidence and status that extended beyond the ring. In 1972, he carried the GDR flag at the Games in Munich, but failed early on due to an injury to his eyebrow. Shortly afterwards, he ends his career with 258 fights and 236 victories.
Teachers for Maske and Schulz
After studying at the German University of Physical Education, Wolke worked as a trainer and formed champions. He coached Rudi Fink on his way to Olympic gold in 1980 and also led Henry Maske to Olympic gold in 1988 and the World Championship title for amateurs in 1989. Axel Schulz is also one of his protégés.
In 1990, Wolke and Maske switched to the professional camp with Sauerland, and in 1993 he made Maske IBF world champion, making them both central figures in the German boxing boom of the 1990s. Maske says of him: “Without Manfred Wolke, I wouldn’t have achieved any of this.” He calls Wolke the “philosopher among trainers”.
Wolke also experienced low points: in 1985, he was transferred and demoted due to alcohol problems before becoming men’s coach again in 1987. He later coached other professionals, including Danilo Häußler, Timo Hoffmann and Enad Licina. Wolke died on May 29, 2024 in Frankfurt (Oder) at the age of 81, but his influence remains palpable because many boxers still work according to his principles today.
Text by Robin Josten