Gerhard Stöck

Gerhard Karl Edward Stock was born on July 28, 1911 in Kaiserswalde, Brandenburg, Germany. The son of a butcher, Stock grew up in the Province of Posen. A versatile athlete, Gerhard was a three-time World Student Games champion: He won both the men's javelin throw and pentathlon in 1935 and the men's shot put in 1939. Stock's other notable athletic accomplishments include winning the bronze medal in the men's shot put and the gold medal in the men's javelin throw at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany; placing second in shot put and seventh in the javelin throw at the 1938 European Championships; winning the domestic German title in the javelin throw in 1938; and placing second in the German men's javelin throw from 1933 to 1947. Gerhard had a college degree in philology and began working as a teacher in 1938. Stock became a member of the Nazi paramilitary organization Sturmanteilung in 1933 and was promoted to the rank of major in 1944. Following his military service in World War II Gerhard was the chef de mission of the Unified German Olympic team in 1956 and 1960 as well as deputy chef de mission of same in 1964. His daughter Jutta Stock participated as a sprinter at the 1968 Olympic Games while his son-in-law Peter Hertel was a 1966 rowing world champion in coxed eights and his grandson Ole Hertel was a competitive shot putter and discus thrower. Stock died at age 73 on March 29, 1985 in Hamburg, Germany.