Tim Lobinger, a former German pole vault champion, passed unexpectedly on Thursday at the age of 50, his family confirmed to German news outlets.
In 1997, he made history when he became the first German pole, vaulter, to clear the six-meter mark outside.
In 2003, he won the gold medal in the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, United Kingdom. In 2006, he won the bronze in Moscow.
Moreover, Lobinger won gold at two European Indoor Championships, in Vienna in 2002 and Valencia, Spain, in 1998.
Silver medals were also awarded to the elite pole vaulter in the European Athletics Championships held in Budapest in 1998 and Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2006.
Also, he represented Germany at four Summer Olympic Games in the years 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008.
Tim Lobinger Cause Of Death
Since receiving a leukemia diagnosis in 2017, Lobinger had battled cancer. In 2018, the condition was successfully treated with stem cell transplantation and chemotherapy.
But, in more recent months, his cancer situation deteriorated.
In an interview with the German publication Bild in October, he acknowledged that the seriousness of the illness meant that he would not be cured.
In the interview, Lobinger stated that “any day that I may live and enjoy with my family is worth fighting for.”
In his lifetime, Lobinger was married twice.