Former pole vaulter Tim Lobinger is dead. The former world-class athlete died after a long illness at the age of 50, as his family confirmed to the German Press Agency on Thursday evening.
The “Rheinische Post” and RTL had previously reported. “There will be no more healing for me. My cancer is too aggressive,” Lobinger told the “Bild” newspaper in October last year. In February 2022, doctors told him his death was near. He should make arrangements, deal with his funeral and say goodbye to his loved ones.
Suffering from blood cancer
Lobinger was diagnosed with blood cancer in March 2017. After chemotherapy, stem cell donations, intermittent relapses and a brief liver failure in the summer of 2018, the 2003 indoor world champion was considered healthy again. In 2020, however, he had to undergo therapy again and received additional radiation.
Lobinger shaped his sport
In 1997, Lobinger was the first German staff artist to break the six-meter mark outdoors. In 2003 he won gold at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham. For many years, the extroverted athlete was one of the defining figures in his sport. After his career, he worked for four years as an athletic trainer with the footballers at RB Leipzig.
