Riedel began his discus career in the former
German Democratic Republic. He grew up in Thurm which is next to Zwickau. In 1983, he went to join
SC Karl-Marx-Stadt. His first important competitions were the
IAAF World Junior Championship in
1986 and the
European Championship in
1990. When the GDR dissolved, Riedel stopped training regularly. Soon after, Riedel met his coach Karlheinz Steinmetz in
Mainz where he began training once again. In the 1990s, he became a dominating figure on the German discus scene. With his good physical constitution (1.99 m, 115 kg), he took part in the
Olympic Games of Atlanta. There he won his only
Olympic title. Furthermore, he won the IAAF
World Championship five times. He is separated from his wife Kerstin. They have a son, Robert. == Achievements ==