Fabian Schulze was German runner-up four times in the pole vault. The 39-year-old died in his adopted home of Sonthofen a few days before his 40th birthday.
His best height of 5.83 meters brought him to ninth place on the German best list. It is the second tragedy in 12 months for German pole vaulting. Tim Lobinger, figurehead of the "golden generation," died last year of leukemia.. "I am deeply sad and can hardly find words," says former top German sprinter Tobias Unger.