{{Short description|German biathlete (born 1970)}} {{For|the American football player|Mark Kirchner (American football)}} {{Expand German|topic=bio|date=April 2022|Mark Kirchner (Biathlet)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox biathlete <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Biathlon --> | name = Mark Kirchner | image = Porträts bei der Olympia-Einkleidung München 2018 (Martin Rulsch) 40.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = | fullname = Mark Kirchner | nickname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1970|4|4}} | birth_place = Neuhaus am Rennweg, Thuringia, East Germany | death_date = | death_place = | residence = | occupation = | height = {{height|m=1.78|precision=0}} | weight = | website = | disciplines = Biathlon | club = | skis = | rifle = | wcdebut = 14 December 1989 | retired = | olympicteams = '''2''' (1992, 1994) | olympicmedals = '''4''' | olympicgolds = 3 | worldsteams = '''6''' (1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997) | worldsmedals = '''10''' | worldsgolds = 7 | wcseasons = '''9''' (1989/90–1997/98) | wcraces = | wcraceswithrelays = | wcwins = '''7''' | wcrelayswins = | wcpodiums = '''12''' | wcrelayspodiums = | wcoveralls = | wctitles = '''1:'''<br />'''1 Individual''' (1990–91) | show-medals = | updated = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's biathlon}} {{MedalCountry|{{GER}}}} {{Medal|Competition|Olympic Games}} {{MedalGold|1992 Albertville|4 × 7.5 km relay}} {{MedalGold|1992 Albertville|10 km sprint}} {{MedalGold|1994 Lillehammer|4 × 7.5 km relay}} {{MedalSilver|1992 Albertville|20 km individual}} {{MedalCompetition|World Championships}} {{MedalGold |1991 Lahti | {{nowrap|20 km individual}}}} {{MedalGold |1991 Lahti | 10 km sprint}} {{MedalGold |1991 Lahti | 4 × 7.5 km relay}} {{MedalGold |1993 Borovets | 10 km sprint}} {{MedalGold |{{nowrap|1995 Antholz-Anterselva}} | 4 × 7.5 km relay}} {{MedalSilver |1997 Brezno-Osrblie | Team event}} {{MedalBronze |1993 Borovets | 4 × 7.5 km relay}} {{MedalCountry | {{GDR}} }} {{MedalCompetition|World Championships}} {{MedalGold |1990 Oslo | 10 km sprint}} {{MedalGold |1990 Oslo | Team event}} {{MedalBronze |1990 Kontiolahti | 4 × 7.5 km relay}} }}
'''Mark Kirchner''' (born 4 April 1970) is a German former biathlete.
==Life and career== Kirchner won gold in the 10 km sprint at the Albertville Olympics in 1992 and followed that up by taking silver in the 20 km individual and gold in the relay.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://data.biathlonworld.com/data/archives.aspx?IbuId=BTGER10404197001 | title = PROFILE - MARK KIRCHNER (GER) | publisher = International Biathlon Union | access-date = 8 March 2015 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230601/http://data.biathlonworld.com/data/archives.aspx?IbuId=BTGER10404197001 | archive-date = 3 March 2016 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> An out-of-the-blue win by Eugeni Redkine of the Unified Team in the 20 km individual prevented him taking honours as the absolute champion of these Games.
In 1994 in Lillehammer, he was his country's flag bearer and was part of the gold-medal winning relay team. He was the youngest ever triple Olympic Champion in biathlon, at the age of just 23 years and 10 month.
Kirchner came second in the overall World Cup standings twice, behind Sergei Tchepikov of the USSR in the 1990–91 season and behind Mikael Löfgren of Sweden in 1992–93.
In addition Kirchner became World Champion multiple times.
He retired relatively early, at the age of 28, in 1998.
Subsequently, Kirchner was employed as an assistant to Frank Ullrich, the German biathlon male team head coach, with responsibilities including youth development. In April 2014, he was appointed as men's coach for the national team.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www5.biathlonworld.com/en/press_releases.html/do/detail?presse=2210 |title=Coaching Changes in Germany and Austria |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=8 April 2014 |website=International Biathlon Union |access-date=14 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226052021/http://www2.biathlonworld.com/en/press_releases.html/do/detail?presse=2210 |archive-date=26 December 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
==Biathlon results== All results are sourced from the International Biathlon Union.<ref name="IBUprofile">{{cite web |url=http://services.biathlonresults.com/athletes.aspx?IbuId=BTGER10404197001 |title=Mark Kirchner |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=IBU Datacenter |publisher=International Biathlon Union |access-date=8 June 2015}}</ref>
===Olympic Games=== ''4 medals (3 gold, 1 silver)'' {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- " !Event !style="width:70px;"|Individual !style="width:70px;"|Sprint !style="width:70px;"|Relay |- | align=left |{{flagicon|France}} 1992 Albertville | style="background:silver;"| '''Silver''' | style="background:gold;"| '''Gold''' | style="background:gold;"| '''Gold''' |- | align=left |{{flagicon|Norway}} 1994 Lillehammer | 7th | 12th | style="background:gold;"| '''Gold''' |}
===World Championships=== ''10 medals (7 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze)'' {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- " !Event !style="width:70px;"|Individual !style="width:70px;"|Sprint !style="width:70px;"|Pursuit !Team !style="width:70px;"|Relay |- | align=left |{{flagicon|URS}} 1990 Minsk | 13th | style="background:gold;"| '''Gold''' | {{n/a}} | style="background:gold;"| '''Gold''' | style="background:#cfaa88;"| '''Bronze''' |- | align=left |{{flagicon|FIN}} 1991 Lahti | style="background:gold;"| '''Gold''' | style="background:gold;"| '''Gold''' | {{n/a}} | — | style="background:gold;"| '''Gold''' |- | align=left |{{flagicon|BUL}} 1993 Borovets | 20th | style="background:gold;"| '''Gold''' | {{n/a}} | — | style="background:#cfaa88;"| '''Bronze''' |- | align=left |{{nowrap|{{flagicon|ITA}} 1995 Antholz-Anterselva}} | 15th | 52nd | {{n/a}} | — | style="background:gold;"| '''Gold''' |- | align=left |{{flagicon|GER}} 1996 Ruhpolding | — | 36th | {{n/a}} | 6th | — |- | align=left |{{flagicon|SVK}} 1997 Brezno-Osrblie | 43rd | 32nd | 14th | style="background:silver;"| '''Silver''' | — |} :''*During Olympic seasons competitions are only held for those events not included in the Olympic program.'' :''**Pursuit was added as an event in 1997.''
===Individual victories=== ''11 victories (6 In, 5 Sp)'' {| class="wikitable" |- ! Season ! Date ! Location ! Discipline ! Level |- | rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;"| '''1989–90''' <br /> 1 victory <br /> (1 Sp) || 10 March 1990 ||{{flagicon|NOR}} Oslo Holmenkollen||10 km sprint||Biathlon World Championships |- | rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"| '''1990–91''' <br /> 4 victories <br /> (3 In, 1 Sp) || 31 January 1991 ||{{flagicon|GER}} Oberhof||20 km individual||Biathlon World Cup |- | 19 February 1991 ||{{flagicon|FIN}} Lahti||10 km sprint||Biathlon World Championships |- | 24 February 1991 ||{{flagicon|FIN}} Lahti||20 km individual||Biathlon World Championships |- | 7 March 1991 ||{{flagicon|NOR}} Oslo Holmenkollen||20 km individual||Biathlon World Cup |- | rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''1991–92''' <br /> 2 victories <br /> (1 In, 1 Sp) || 12 February 1992 ||{{flagicon|FRA}} Albertville||10 km sprint||Winter Olympic Games |- | 10 March 1992 ||{{flagicon|NOR}} Skrautvål||20 km individual||Biathlon World Cup |- | rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| '''1992–93''' <br /> 3 victories <br /> (1 In, 2 Sp) || 19 December 1992 ||{{flagicon|SLO}} Pokljuka||10 km sprint||Biathlon World Cup |- | 13 February 1993 ||{{flagicon|BUL}} Borovets||10 km sprint||Biathlon World Championships |- | 11 March 1993 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} Östersund||20 km individual||Biathlon World Cup |- | rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;"| '''1996–97''' <br /> 1 victory <br /> (1 In) || 6 March 1997 ||{{flagicon|JPN}} Nagano||20 km individual||Biathlon World Cup |} :''*Results are from UIPMB and IBU races which include the Biathlon World Cup, Biathlon World Championships and the Winter Olympic Games.''
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{sports links}} * {{IBU name|BTGER10404197001}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions Biathlon 10km Men}} {{Footer Olympic Champions Biathlon Relay Men}} {{Footer World Champions Biathlon 20km Men}} {{Footer World Champions Biathlon 10km Men}} {{Footer World Champions Biathlon Team Men}} {{Footer World Champions Biathlon Relay Men}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirchner, Mark}} Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:People from Neuhaus am Rennweg Category:Biathletes from Thuringia Category:German male biathletes Category:Biathletes at the 1992 Winter Olympics Category:Biathletes at the 1994 Winter Olympics Category:Olympic biathletes for Germany Category:Medalists at the 1992 Winter Olympics Category:Medalists at the 1994 Winter Olympics Category:Olympic medalists in biathlon Category:Olympic silver medalists for Germany Category:Olympic gold medalists for Germany Category:Biathlon World Championships medalists Category:Holmenkollen Ski Festival winners Category:German cross-country skiing coaches Category:20th-century German sportsmen Category:Sportspeople from Bezirk Suhl Category:East German male biathletes