Carlo Thränhardt is a retired German high jumper. He excelled at indoor competitions, setting the world indoor record on three occasions between 1984 and 1988. His best mark of 2.42 meters ranks him second on the indoor all-time list one-centimetre behind world record holder Javier Sotomayor of Cuba. The only superior outdoor performances are Sotomayor's world record of 2.45, and Mutaz Essa Barshim's clearance of 2.43 in 2014. Like all modern high jumpers, Thränhardt used the Fosbury Flop style, but of the 16 men in history to have cleared 2.40 meters or higher, he was only the second to do so jumping off his right leg. The first was Igor Paklin. At the European Indoor Championships, he won a gold medal in 1983 and four silver medals. Outdoors, his best championship result was winning a bronze medal at the 1986 European Championships. He also reached the Olympic finals in 1984 and 1988.
Career
Thränhardt was born in Bad Lauchstadt, Saxony-Anhalt. He achieved his personal best performance in outdoor competitions with 2.37 m on 2 September 1984 in Rieti. This result is also the German outdoor record. Thränhardt was particularly well known for his prowess during the indoor track & field seasons. He set a total of three world indoor records. His first record jump was recorded on February 24, 1984, in the Schöneberger sports hall during which he achieved a mark of 2.37m. On January 16, 1987 in Simmerath, Germany he became the first man to clear 2.40 m indoors. This mark bested his countryman Dietmar Mögenburg's record of 2.39 m set in Cologne, Germany. On February 26, 1988 he set his last world indoor record of 2.42 m in the Schöneberger sports hall. By this time, the requirement for a roofless arena had recently been stricken from the world record rules, so this mark was also recognised as equalling Patrik Sjöberg's world record. It remained a world record until September 1988, when it was beaten by Javier Sotomayor, and a world indoor record until March 1989, when Sotomayor repeated this performance indoors. In 1990, roofs were again banned for world records, and Thränhardt's 2.42 m was retroactively removed from all official outdoor record and performance lists. Although roofs have once again been allowed, this record has not been retroactively reinstated. The second highest jump ever indoors, it remains the European indoor record. Jumping as a masters athlete, Thränhardt set the M55 World Record at 1.87m at the Flopfest meet in Eberstadt, Germany. Carlo Thränhardt was firstly a member of ASV Köln, later moving to LG Bayer Leverkusen. He had a match weight of 86 kg and was 1.99 m tall. In 2004 he participated in the RTL version of I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!.
