Falk Balzer

Falk Balzer (born 14 December 1973 in Leipzig) is a former German hurdler and the son of former East German hurdler Karin Balzer. He is best known for winning the silver medal at the 1998 European Championships in Budapest, Hungary and the bronze medal at the 1999 World Indoor Championships. He represented his native country at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Falk Balzer is the German national record holder in the 60 m hurdles with a time of 7.41 s.

Athletic career During his entire career Falk Balzer was coached by his parents, Karin Balzer and Karl-Heinz Balzer. His first success in the 110 m hurdles was in 1989, where he won the bronze medal in the last GDR Spartakiad (GDR youth championships).

In 1994 he won the U23-European Cup in Ostrava in the 110 m hurdles.

In 1995 he finished sixth in the 110 m hurdles at the Universiade, where he also ran the relay.

In 1996 he won his first German Indoor Championships in the 60 m hurdles with a winning time of 7.53 s. In the 60 m hurdles of the European Indoor Championships he finished fourth. Balzer won the World Cup in Johannesburg in the 110 m hurdles in his all-time best of 13.10 s. Later that season he finished third at the World Indoor Championships in a winning time of 7.44 s. Until today he is the only German who won a medal at world championships in the 60 m hurdles. In the 1999 summer season he won the European Cup in the 110 m hurdles and came fifth in the World Championships in Sevilla. He also competed in the 110 m hurdles at the Military World Games and won the silver medal behind Stanislav Olijars. Later that year he finished fifth in the European Indoor Championships, won the European Cup and came third in the German Championships.

Balzer tested positive for nandrolone in January 2001 (10.2 ng). Differences in urine density and PH-value of the submitted and analyzed urine sample were not considered relevant by the German Athletics Association. A DNA analysis only confirmed a possible connection to Falk Balzer, but no 100% match. On the same day of the positive test Balzer had a blood test. The additional testing of the blood sample was rejected by the German Athletics Association. In spite of these doubts the German Athletics Federation subsequently handed him a two-year doping ban.

In 2003 he gave his comeback at the German Indoor Championships, resulting in a fifth position in the 60 m hurdles. He was then diagnosed with Epstein-Barr virus, but still managed to get silver at the German Championships in the 110 m hurdles in summer.

2016 to 2017 he coached the two-time world champion in the 400 m hurdles, Zuzanna Hejnova. During the indoor season of 2017 Hejnova achieved a new personal best in the 60 m hurdles of 8.25 s. During that season she also competed in the 400 m at the European Indoor Championships and won the silver medal.

In 2018 Balzer started coaching Georg Fleischhauer, previously a 400 m hurdler, in the high hurdles and as a bobsleigh breakman. During the German Championships Fleischhauer came third in 2020 and 2021, both in the 110 m hurdles, and in 2021 he came second in the 60 m hurdles at the German Indoor Championships. In 2023 Fleischhauer won the World Championships in the two-man-bobsleigh, as the breakman of Johannes Lochner.

Personal life Balzer is the son of Karin Balzer, Olympic Champion of 1964 in the 80 m hurdles and winner of the Olympic bronze medal in the 100 m hurdles in 1972. Karin Balzer set 7 world records and was the first woman run below 13 s in the 100 m hurdles. She was coached by her husband Karl-Heinz Balzer.

Balzer studied German and History and was awarded a master's degree in both disciplines.

In 1999 he was awarded the Badge of Honour of the Bundeswehr in silver.

Personal bests 60 m hurdles (indoors): 7.41 s NR (29 January 1999 in Chemnitz, Germany)

110 m hurdles: 13.10 s (13 September 1998 in Johannesburg, South Africa)

On 7 February 1999 Balzer ran the 60 m hurdles in Stuttgart, Germany in a winning time of 7.34 s – only 0.04 s slower than Colin Jackson's world indoor record at that time. Right after the race, Falk Balzer annulled the race himself, since he assumed a false start by himself. The jury on site considered the race valid and with that Balzer's winning time of 7.34 s. Almost two hours later a jury by the IAAF annulled the entire race since the video recording showed several other athletes, who also had false starts. The race still showed that Balzer was able to run below 7.40 s at that time.

Achievements 1989: 3rd GDR Spartakiad (GDR youth championships)

1994: U23-European Cup Winner (110 m hurdles)

1995: 6th at Universiade (110 m hurdles)

1996: German Indoor Champion (60 m hurdles), 4th at European Indoor Championships (60 m hurdles)

1997: World Indoor Championships semifinalist (60 m hurdles), 3rd at German Championships (110 m hurdles), World Championships semifinalist (110 m hurdles)

1998: German Indoor Champion (60 m hurdles), German Champion (110 m hurdles), 2nd at European Cup (110 m hurdles), 2nd at European Championships (110 m hurdles), World Cup winner (110 m hurdles)

1999: 3rd at World Indoor Championships (60 m hurdles), European Cup Winner (110 m hurdles), 2nd at Military World Games (110 m hurdles), 5th at World Championships (110 m hurdles)

2000: German Indoor Champion (60 m hurdles), 5th at European Indoor Championships (60 m hurdles), European Cup winner (110 m hurdles), 3rd at German Championships (110 m hurdles), Olympics semifinalist (110 m hurdles)

2003: 2nd at German Championships (110 m hurdles)

2008: 4th at German Championships (110 m hurdles)

2011: 5th at German Indoor Championships (60 m hurdles)