Stefanie Biskupek-Kräker (née Kräker; 21 April 1960) is a German former gymnast who competed for East Germany at the 1976 and 1980 Olympic Games. Over her career she won four Olympic medals and six world championship medals.

Steffi Kräker
Personal information
Country represented East Germany
Born (1960-04-21) 21 April 1960 (age 64)
Leipzig, East Germany
ResidenceLeipzig, Saxony
DisciplineWomen's artistic gymnastics
Years on national team1976–81 (GDR)
Medal record
Representing  East Germany
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1980 Moscow Vault
Bronze medal – third place 1976 Montreal Team
Bronze medal – third place 1980 Moscow Team
Bronze medal – third place 1980 Moscow Uneven Bars
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1978 Strasbourg Team
Bronze medal – third place 1978 Strasbourg Vault
Bronze medal – third place 1979 Fort Worth Team
Bronze medal – third place 1979 Fort Worth Vault
Bronze medal – third place 1981 Moscow Team
Bronze medal – third place 1981 Moscow Vault
World Cup Final
Gold medal – first place 1978 São Paulo Uneven Bars
Gold medal – first place 1979 Tokyo Uneven Bars
Silver medal – second place 1977 Oviedo All-Around
Silver medal – second place 1977 Oviedo Balance Beam
Silver medal – second place 1977 Oviedo Floor Exercise
Silver medal – second place 1980 Toronto Uneven Bars
Bronze medal – third place 1977 Oviedo Uneven Bars
Bronze medal – third place 1980 Toronto All-Around
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1977 Prague Uneven Bars
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-R0321-0001, Steffi Kräker, Marion Kische, Gitta Escher, Ricarda Schmeißer, Angelika Hellmann

Career

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Kräker began competing on the GDR national team in 1976. One of her earliest senior competitions was the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, where she won a team bronze medal.

Following these Olympics Kräker emerged as a major member of the GDR team. In 1977 she became the 1977 GDR national champion and won a bronze on the uneven bars at the 1977 European Championships. At the 1978 World Championships in Strasbourg she won two bronze medals: team and vault. At the 1979 World Championships in Fort Worth she again won bronze with the team and on vault.

The 1980 Olympic Games were Kräker's most successful championship; she received team and bars bronze medals and a silver medal on the vault. Kräker's last major competition was the 1981 World Championships in Moscow where she won team and vault bronze medals.

Kräker was awarded the Patriotic Order of Merit in 1980.

Post-retirement

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After her retirement, Biskupek-Kräker became an international judge.

Biskupek-Kräker now works as a child psychologist and psychotherapist in her hometown of Leipzig. She was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2011.[1]

Eponymous skill

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Kräker has one eponymous skill listed in the Code of Points.[2]

Apparatus Name Description Difficulty[a]
Uneven bars Kraeker Underswing with half turn, tucked back salto with full-turn D
  1. ^ Valid for the 2022-2024 Code of Points

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Steffi Kraeker". The International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  2. ^ "2022-2024 Code of Points Women's Artistic Gymnastics" (PDF). International Gymnastics Federation. pp. 100, 208. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
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