Wolf-Dieter Montag

Wolf-Dieter Montag (10 December 1924 – 21 July 2018) was a German physician, sports medicine specialist, mountain rescue doctor, and international sports administrator. His medical career spanned 50 years in his native Bavaria, and included being a lecturer, teacher and consultant for orthopedic surgery, and physical therapy. He served as vice-president of the German Sport Medical Association, advised the Landtag of Bavaria on medical matters, and was a mountain rescue doctor and instructor for 30 years. He was the chief physician of the German Ice Skating Union for eight years, then was its president for 16 years. He was a medical advisor to the International Skating Union for 10 years, served as the Chief Medical Officer of the International Ice Hockey Federation for 23 years, and was a member of the medical committee for the International Olympic Committee at all Summer and Winter Olympic Games from 1972 to 2002. He received multiple awards during his career, including the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany first class, the Bavarian Order of Merit, the Olympic Order, induction into the German Ice Hockey Hall of Fame, and the inaugural Paul Loicq Award.

Early life and education Montag was born on 10 December 1924 in Bamberg, Germany. He completed undergraduate studies in philosophy and theology at the University of Bamberg. He went on to study medicine at University of Bamberg, University of Erlangen–Nuremberg, University of Vienna, and LMU Munich. He passed the state doctor's examination on 5 May 1952, and was promoted to a Doctor of Medicine on 6 May 1952.

Medical career Montag was associated primarily with institutions in Bavaria during his career. He worked at hospitals in Vilsbiburg, Rosenheim, and Murnau am Staffelsee, and practiced as a sports doctor in Munich and Weilheim from 1956 to 1990. He also served as an assistant to Fritz Lange at the , part of LMU Munich. He also lectured, taught and consulted for orthopedic surgery, sports medicine, and physical therapy. He was a founding member of the German Society for Sports Physiotherapy in 1973, to further the education of sport physiotherapists in preparation for the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, and the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.

Montag was a member of many institutions in his native state of Bavaria during his career. He was a member of the mountain rescue standby team in Weilheim, as a rescue doctor and an instructor from 1960 to 1990. He also served on the sports medicine advisory board to the Landtag of Bavaria from 1976 to 1998.

Sports administrator Montag became the chief physician for the German Ice Skating Union, and the German Ice Sport Federation in 1972. He was the team doctor for the West Germany men's national ice hockey team, and the primary physician for West German athletes at the 1972, 1976, and 1980 Winter Olympics. In 1980, he opened the West German national figure skating training center in Oberstdorf. Canadian doctor Mark Aubry followed Montag as the CMO for the IIHF in 1998.

Montag was a member of the medical committee for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at all Summer and Winter Olympic Games from 1972 to 2002. He was part of the IOC commission for women's sport, the IOC's commission to control doping in sport, and coordinating committee for the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. He died at home on 21 July 2018, at age 93. During the opening ceremony of the 1998 Winter Olympics he received the Olympic Order for his work with the Olympic Games and sports medicine. Later in the same year, he was awarded the golden badge of honor by the German Sports Medical Association. Montag received the Bavarian Order of Merit in 2000, for his work in sports administration and sports medicine, and was inducted in the German Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008.

Other honors include receiving a silver decoration from the Bavarian Mountain Rescue, an honorary diploma from the Bavarian Wounded Sports Federation, and being named an honorary president of the Bavarian Sports Doctors Association.