Photo: Mario De Biassi/Angelo Cozzi ( Mondadori Publishers ) — Public domainSource
Martin Lauer
musician
- January 2, 1937
- October 6, 2019
- 82 years
About Martin Lauer
Martin Lauer, 82, German athlete, Olympic champion (1960).
Explore other notable deaths in 2019 or deaths in October 2019.
The Deaths Archive presents
How well do you know Martin Lauer?
Explore their life. Test your knowledge. Beat the challenge.
10 questions · One legacy · How much do you really know?
Challenge your friends
Play together in real-time.
Full Biography
|Karl Martin Lauer (German pronunciation: [ˈmaʁtiːn ˈlaʊɐ] ⓘ; 2 January 1937 – 6 October 2019) was a West German sprinter who won a gold medal in the 4 × 100 m relay at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Biography
Lauer was a German champion in 110 m hurdles from 1956 to 1960 and in decathlon in 1956. At the 1956 Summer Olympics, he finished fourth in 110 m hurdles and fifth in decathlon. At the 1958 European Championships, he won the gold in 110 m hurdles. In 1958 Lauer also ran his first world record, in the 4 × 100 m relay. He set his second world record in 1959, this time in his main event of 110 m hurdles (13.2); this record stood until 1972. The same year he also set his personal best in decathlon and was ranked second in the world in this event. At the end of the year he was named Athlete of the Year by the sports magazine Track & Field News, the first ever of the annual election.
At the Rome Olympics Lauer was again fourth in 110 m hurdles and ran the anchoring leg for the German's 4 × 100 m relay team. In the final the Germans finished second behind the United States, but 15 minutes after the finish it was announced that the American team had been disqualified for an incorrect exchange. Germany's time, 39.5 seconds, equaled their own world record.
After the Olympics Lauer was forced to retire from sports – a non-sterile injection resulted in sepsis and prospects of leg amputation. While visiting Lauer in hospital, his girlfriend and brother had a car crash, with the girlfriend dying immediately and his brother several years later. After recovering Lauer became a country singer and sold a few million copies of his 40+ records. His single "Taxi nach Texas" was awarded the Silver Lion of Radio Luxembourg in 1964. Lauer attended the 1964 Olympics as a journalist and the 1972 Olympics as a representative of the Junghans Company. He later worked as director of the German company Triumph-Adler. Lauer died on 6 October 2019 at the age of 82.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Interactive
Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge
How well do you know this person's life and legacy?
No account needed to play. Sign in to keep your score on the leaderboard.
Books & Media
Find books, audiobooks and films about Martin Lauer on Amazon.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Lauer
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 7, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 15 questions
Questions drawn from Martin Lauer's archived record and the sources above.
1.On what date was Martin Lauer born?
- A.2 January 1937correct
- B.1 January 1937
- C.4 January 1937
- D.3 January 1937
Martin Lauer was born on 2 January 1937.
Source: Biography introduction
2.In which specific track and field event was Martin Lauer the German champion from 1956 to 1960?
- A.Decathlon
- B.100 m sprint
- C.110 m hurdlescorrect
- D.4 x 100 m relay
Martin Lauer held the German championship title in the 110 m hurdles consecutively from 1956 to 1960.
Source: Biography section
3.In which year did Martin Lauer win the gold medal in the 110 m hurdles at the European Championships?
- A.1957
- B.1960
- C.1956
- D.1958correct
Martin Lauer won the gold medal in the 110 m hurdles at the 1958 European Championships.
Source: Biography section
4.What was the duration of the world record set by Martin Lauer in the 110 m hurdles (13.2) in 1959?
- A.Until 1968
- B.Until 1972correct
- C.Until 1960
- D.Until 1964
The world record Martin Lauer set in the 110 m hurdles in 1959 stood until 1972.
Source: Biography section
5.Which sports magazine named Martin Lauer the Athlete of the Year in 1959?
- A.Athletics Weekly
- B.Sports Illustrated
- C.European Sports Review
- D.Track & Field Newscorrect
Martin Lauer was named Athlete of the Year by the sports magazine Track & Field News at the end of 1959.
Source: Biography section
6.What was the final time recorded by the German team in the 4 x 100 m relay at the 1960 Rome Olympics?
- A.40.0 seconds
- B.38.5 seconds
- C.39.5 secondscorrect
- D.39.0 seconds
The German relay team finished with a time of 39.5 seconds at the 1960 Rome Olympics.
Source: Biography section
7.Why was the American relay team disqualified in the 1960 Olympic 4 x 100 m relay final?
- A.Running in the wrong lane
- B.An incorrect exchangecorrect
- C.Dropping the baton
- D.A false start by the anchor
The American team was disqualified for an incorrect exchange during the 1960 Olympic 4 x 100 m relay final.
Source: Biography section
8.What medical condition forced Martin Lauer to retire from athletics after the 1960 Olympics?
- A.A heart condition
- B.A chronic hamstring injury
- C.Sepsis from a non-sterile injectioncorrect
- D.A severe spinal fracture
Martin Lauer was forced to retire because a non-sterile injection resulted in sepsis.
Source: Biography section
9.What tragic event occurred while Martin Lauer was hospitalized due to his medical condition?
- A.His house was destroyed by a storm
- B.His parents died in a fire
- C.His coach suffered a fatal heart attack
- D.His girlfriend and brother were in a car crashcorrect
While visiting him in the hospital, Martin Lauer's girlfriend and brother were involved in a car crash.
Source: Biography section
10.What was the title of the single for which Martin Lauer received the Silver Lion of Radio Luxembourg in 1964?
- A.Taxi nach Texascorrect
- B.Sprint to Rome
- C.Golden Hurdle
- D.German Gold
Martin Lauer's single titled 'Taxi nach Texas' was awarded the Silver Lion of Radio Luxembourg in 1964.
Source: Biography section
11.For which company did Martin Lauer serve as a representative at the 1972 Olympics?
- A.Track & Field News
- B.Radio Luxembourg
- C.Triumph-Adler
- D.Junghans Companycorrect
Martin Lauer attended the 1972 Olympics as a representative of the Junghans Company.
Source: Biography section
12.What career position did Martin Lauer eventually hold at the company Triumph-Adler?
- A.Sports consultant
- B.Directorcorrect
- C.Journalist
- D.Sales representative
Martin Lauer worked as a director of the German company Triumph-Adler.
Source: Biography section
13.How many records did Martin Lauer sell as a country singer?
- A.Approximately ten million
- B.A few millioncorrect
- C.Over fifty million
- D.A few hundred thousand
After retiring from sports, Martin Lauer sold a few million copies of his 40+ records.
Source: Biography section
14.At what age did Martin Lauer die in 2019?
- A.80
- B.82correct
- C.85
- D.78
Martin Lauer died on 6 October 2019 at the age of 82.
Source: Biography section
15.In which event was Martin Lauer ranked second in the world in 1959?
- A.100 m sprint
- B.Decathloncorrect
- C.4 x 100 m relay
- D.110 m hurdles
In 1959, Martin Lauer set his personal best in decathlon and was ranked second in the world for that event.
Source: Biography section
People who died on October 6
Related People
Spotted an error?
Help us keep the archive accurate. Report a correction with a source.
Report an error for Martin Lauer →













