Hagen Melzer

{{Short description|East German athletics competitor}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}

{{expand German|topic=bio|date=June 2022|Hagen Melzer}}

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{{MedalSport | Men's athletics}}

{{MedalCountry | {{GDR}} }}

{{MedalCompetition|World Championships}}

{{MedalSilver | 1987 Rome | 3,000 m steeplechase}}

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Hagen Melzer (born 16 June 1959, in Bautzen) is a former East German middle and long-distance runner who specialised in the 3000 m steeplechase.

He won the gold medal at the 1986 European Championships in Stuttgart. A year later he won the silver medal at the 1987 World Championships in Rome, where he set a national record at 8:10.32 minutes. This remained his career best time, and places him second on the German all-time performers list behind Damian Kallabis, who ran in 8:09.48 minutes in 1999.[http://www.leichtathletik.de/dokumente/ergebnisse/images/ewige_dlv_bestenliste.pdf Microsoft Word – Ewige DLV-Bestenliste.doc] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070704081712/http://www.leichtathletik.de/dokumente/ergebnisse/images/ewige_dlv_bestenliste.pdf |date=4 July 2007 }} At the Olympic Games he finished tenth in 1988 and did not reach the final in 1992.

Melzer won seven East German national titles, in 1980, 1983 and the years 1985–1989.[http://www.sport-komplett.de/sport-komplett/sportarten/l/leichtathletik/hst/199.html East German championships, men's 3000 m steeplechase] He represented the sports clubs SC Einheit Dresden and, after the German reunification, Dresdner SC. He won the German title in 1991 for his new club.[http://www.sport-komplett.de/sport-komplett/sportarten/l/leichtathletik/hst/81.html German championships, men's 3000 m steeplechase]