Auto crash claims life of Arno Küppers, masters world TJ champ

Arno and Willie Banks were M50 rivals, friends.

Arno and Willie Banks were M50 rivals, friends.

Heinz Arno Kueppers, a two-time world masters champion in the triple jump who also competed for Germany on the world level, was killed June 17 when he crashed his Audi in the west-central town of Jülich, according to media reports. It took about nine days to identify his body via DNA analysis. His Facebook page includes some tributes, and German track sites noted the loss. Born in 1954, Arno was a near contemporary of Willie Banks and posted a shot of him posing with Willie. Arno won gold medals at 2005 and 2009 worlds in M45 and M55 groups. One German site noted: “Heinz-Arno Kueppers already part of the active time of the top three jumpers in Germany, continued his successful career continued in the senior and was also there, known as a humble, helpful athlete and popular. With Heinz-Arno Kueppers the Senior Athletics loses a popular and likeable athlete.”

Here’s a very rough translation of a news report shared by Robert Koop:

Written by Axel Hermann
(Dülken / Krefeld, June 26, 2013) Well, all speculation and mind games that he had been attacked and not the driver’s death, an end, it’s sad certainty. The DNA analysis of the investigating police agency in Cologne showed that there are in fact three Springer Arno Kueppers (* 1954) from ASV Süchteln acted whose beyond recognition burnt body at the wreck of the Audi R8 before last Monday night (June 17) on the A 44 coming from Aachen lay between runs east and Titz-Jülich in the embankment.

Because otherwise no substances were found which allowed any conclusions on this serious accident without foreign participation, the actual cause of remains unclear. Arno was a gambler and speeders at least not like any can confirm who knew in detail. This includes his club mate Christopher Gerhard, who repeatedly drove off the accident site and excludes at high speed there existing bump could have led to the “departure”.

If the theory of Sekundentod or circulatory collapse behind the wheel, we have already expressed in our reporting in the previous week. The mortal remains of Arno Küppers, who was single, but a 88-year-old mother leaves, were now released for burial.

For all teammates / inside who want to accompany him on his last journey irrevocably, we will post venue and date to be announced, if a public Beiseitzung should take place.

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June 30, 2013

One Response

  1. henry - July 1, 2013

    Sad news indeed.

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