{{Short description|German-born Palestinian dressage rider}} {{distinguish|text=concert pianist Krystian Zimerman or American politician, pastor, and pilot Christian Zimmerman}} {{expand German|topic=bio|date=December 2021|Christian Zimmermann (Reiter)}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Christian Zimmermann | image = WPT2013-CDI4-Brühe Christian-Cinco de Mayo-2.JPG | caption = Christian Zimmermann and Cinco de Mayo (2013) | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|12|12|df=y}} | birth_place = Cologne, Germany | death_date = | death_place = | sport = Equestrian | country = {{PLE}} | event = | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = }} '''Christian Zimmermann''' (né '''Brühe''') (born 12 December 1961 in Cologne, Germany) is a German-born Palestinian Olympic dressage rider.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fei.org/bios/Person/10054376 |title=Christian Zimmermann |publisher=fei.org |accessdate=30 December 2014}}</ref> He represented Palestine at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy where he finished 68th in the individual dressage competition with ''Cinco de Mayo''.<ref>[http://www.timesofisrael.com/six-palestinian-athletes-head-to-rio-half-of-them-germans/ Palestinians send 6 athletes to Rio — half of them Germans] – ''Times of Israel'', 2 August 2016</ref> By doing so, he became the first Palestinian to compete at the World Equestrian Games.
==Life== Zimmermann is a descendant of composer Robert Schumann.<ref name="haaretz">[https://www.haaretz.com/sports/2016-08-03/ty-article/.premium/how-a-german-rider-ended-up-representing-palestine-in-rio/0000017f-f6f0-d5bd-a17f-f6fa95200000 How a German Businessman Ended Up Representing Palestine in Rio] – ''Haaretz'', 2 August 2016</ref> Zimmermann competed in dressage until the age of 26, when he left the sport to go into business, becoming CEO of the communications agency Uniplan<ref name="uniplan">[http://www.uniplan.com/en/news-press/ Christian Zimmermann, Uniplan CEO, represents Palestine in dressage at the Summer Olympics] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160728220957/http://www.uniplan.com/en/news-press/ |date=2016-07-28 }} – Uniplan.com, 26 July 2016</ref> After an 18-year hiatus from the sport, he began competing again at the age of 44, initially for Germany.<ref>[http://www.eurodressage.com/equestrian/2013/08/08/christian-bruhe-pursuit-excellence-business-and-dressage Christian Bruhe In Pursuit of Excellence in Business and Dressage] – Euro Dressage, 8 August 2013</ref>
He obtained dual citizenship in 2011, when he became a naturalized citizen of the State of Palestine. He switched his national allegiance from Germany to Palestine in 2013, becoming one of only six Palestinian equestrians registered with the International Federation for Equestrian Sports.<ref name="haaretz" /> He chose to switch to Palestine after meeting a Russian diplomat with Palestinian roots, which made him think about the German role in the history of Israel and Palestine.<ref name="haaretz" /><ref name="uniplan" /> The switch also improved his chances of qualifying for the Olympic games compared to if he had competed for Germany.<ref name="haaretz" /> Zimmermann competed at the 2016 Olympics with his Dutch Warmblood gelding Aramis, he finished 57th in the Grand Prix qualifier and did not advance to the further rounds.{{fact|date=November 2023}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category|Christian Brühe}} * {{FEI|10054376}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zimmermann, Christian}} Category:Living people Category:1961 births Category:Palestinian male equestrians Category:Palestinian dressage riders Category:Palestinian people of German descent Category:Equestrians at the 2016 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic equestrians for Palestine Category:21st-century Palestinian sportsmen Category:Naturalized citizens of Palestine
{{Palestine-sport-bio-stub}} {{Asia-equestrian-bio-stub}}