Mark Warnecke

Mark Warnecke is a German breaststroke swimmer, born on 15 February 1970 in Bochum, who swam for the club Sportgemeinschaft Essen. He was a four-time Olympian, representing West Germany at Seoul in 1988 and reunified Germany at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Games. His one Olympic medal was the bronze in the 100 metres breaststroke at Atlanta in 1996. He also finished fourth with the German medley relay team at three Games in a row, from 1988 to 1996. His best results came in the 50 metres breaststroke, an event not then on the Olympic programme: he won the short-course world title in 2000 and, in 2005, became the oldest swimming world champion when he won the long-course 50 metres breaststroke. He later trained as a physician and was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, Germany's highest sports award, in 2005.