Johann Wotapek, also known as Schani (23 September 1908 – 7 March 1982), was an Austrian athlete, an Olympic competitor in discus in 1936, the Austrian national champion in discus four times and in shot put three times.
Life Wotapek, originally from Sankt Pölten in Lower Austria,Ingolf Wöll, 2019: Gut Heil! und Grüss Gott! Einblick - Christlich-deutscher Turnverein St. Pölten 1904-38 (pdf online) competed internationally at the 1931 Workers' Summer Olympiad in Vienna and the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, where he placed 9th in the discus throw final. He was also considered likely to be a competitor in the abandoned 1940 Helsinki Olympics."Wotapek - eine Olympiahoffnung für 1940" - Innsbrücker Nachrichten, 24 July 1939
Wotapek competed extensively in sporting events within Austria and Germany. He was three times Austrian national champion in the shot put in 1939, 1940 and 1943,Österreichische Leichtathletikverband Archiv: Wotapek Johann and four times national champion in the discus in 1935, 1936, 1937 and 1943.
He worked as a policeman in Vienna, where he was a member of the PSV (Polizei Sport Verein) and represented the police at international sporting competitions."Polizeisportfest in Amsterdam", Deutsche Zeitung im Ostland, 18 September 1941, p. 8"Polizei-Olympiade in Budapest", in Österreichische Volksstimme, 11 August 1945 He was also a sports teacher.Wiener Neueste Nachrichten, 20 January 1942: " "Schani" als Lehrmeister: Diskus-Meister Wotapek widmet sich dem Nachwuchs"
During the war he became captain of the German light athletics team, and for this reason he had after the war to defend himself against the charge of Nazism, which he was able to do successfully.OELV.at Geschichte: Der ÖLV in Zeitraffer: 1931 - 1945 | Der ÖLV im 2. Weltkrieg
References
Further reading Adam, Norbert (2002): Leichtathletik. Die Königin des Sports. 100 Jahre Österreichischer Leichtathletik-Verband. Wien: Verlag Wolfgang Drabesch
External links Die besten Diskuswerfer Osterreichs, Österreichische Leichtathletik Mitteilungsblatt 30 December 1977, p. 11 Photo of Wotapak on postcard, 1940