Otto Barch

Otto Eduardovich Barch (20 December 1943 – 23 October 2025) was a Kyrgyz race walker who represented the Soviet Union. He competed at the 1968, 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics. He was also a silver medalist at the 1973 IAAF World Race Walking Cup and the 1974 European Athletics Championships, in addition to being a three-time Soviet champion.

Biography Barch was born on 20 December 1943 in Frunze, Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union. His parents were Russian-Germans. Barch graduated from the Frunze Polytechnic Institute, now known as the Kyrgyz Technical University, and was a mechanical engineer outside of sports. In 1963, at around age 19, he began participating in athletics. Barch won the silver medal in the 50 km race walk at the 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1972 Soviet championships. In 1972, he was selected to compete in the 50 km race walk at the Summer Olympics in Munich, where he placed fourth, his best Olympic finish.

Barch won the silver medal at the 1973 IAAF World Race Walking Cup in Lugano, behind Kannenberg. He later moved to Germany after the fall of the Soviet Union. Sport.kg said after his death that "The lasting legacy Otto Barch left in the history of Kyrgyz sports will forever remain in the people's memory."