When looking back on his successful career, boxing icon Henry Maske likes to think of his gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.
“The Olympic victory is something incredibly significant. It’s in the chest and in the head. I’m very happy for this memory, I like to keep it present,” said Maske in an interview with the “SID”. On Saturday the “gentleman” celebrates his 60th birthday.
Maske will spend this time “quietly in a small family circle” in his adopted home of Overath near Cologne. 35 years after the Olympic middleweight victory for the GDR, some calm has returned to the life of the former world champion.
Boxing idol Henry Maske: “I got far more than I ever expected”
However, he remains connected to boxing. “Sport has had an incredible impact on me. Things that come with it are still my companions. Personal development, profile, the way of dealing with things,” said Maske.
The Brandenburg native turned professional in 1990 and won 31 of his 32 fights in the light heavyweight division. In the 90s, Maske took boxing out of the sleazy corner and made it socially acceptable; tens of millions of viewers sat in front of the television for his fights against Virgil Hill and Graciano Rocchigiani.
“I got far more than I ever expected,” says Maske, looking back.