Group - Uwe-Jens Mey

Uwe-Jens Mey (born 13 December 1963) is a former speed skater, considered to be the fastest sprinter of his time because of his 500 metres supremacy in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was born in Warsaw, Poland. Originally competing for East Germany (and after the German reunification for Germany), Uwe-Jens Mey's first notable achievement was in December 1983. At the age of 19, he outpaced André Hoffmann in the 500 metres and by doing so, Mey earned the East German title and a ticket to the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. There, Mey finished 8th on his favourite 500 metres distance. In the years after the Sarajevo Olympics he stood firm in the international sprinting sub-top, making step-by-step progression. At the World Sprint Championships, he finished 6th, 5th, and 4th, respectively, in 1985, 1986, and 1987. Finishing second behind Dan Jansen in the overall standing of the first distances World Cup in 1986, Mey established himself at the 500 metres world top. Mey was a true perfectionist, training very hard to improve his technique. During the mid 1980s, he was considered to be the fastest starter in the world.