Halina Sylwia Górecka (née Richter, later Herrmann; born 4 February 1938) is a retired Polish and German sprinter. At the Summer Olympics she competed for Poland in 1956, 1960 and 1964 and for West Germany in 1968. She won a bronze and a gold medal in the 4 × 100 m relay in 1960 and 1964, respectively. The Polish team set a world record in the 1964 final, but it was annulled after one teammate, Ewa Kłobukowska, failed a gender test in 1967.^[1][2]

Quick Facts Personal information, Born ...

Halina Górecka

Halina Górecka (left) and Ewa Kłobukowska at the 1964 Olympics
Personal information
Born	4 February 1938 (1938-02-04) (age 86) Chorzów, Poland
Height	1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Weight	57 kg (126 lb)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event	Sprint
Club	AKS Chorzów Górnik Zabrze ASV Köln
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	100 m – 11.5 (1964) 200 m – 23.6 (1964)
Medal record Representing  Poland Olympic Games 1960 Rome 4×100 m relay 1964 Tokyo 4×100 m relay

Close

In 1964 Górecka became a double champion of Poland: in 100 m and 200 m, adding to her earlier Polish title in the 4 × 100 m relay in 1954. In 1965, at an international meet in Dortmund, she defected to West Germany and went to Cologne to a friend Reinhold Herrmann. They married in 1966. Her appearance for West Germany at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City did not result in any medals. In Germany Górecka worked as an office clerk. In 2012 her Olympic gold medal was stolen from her apartment.^[1]