Walter Sawall

Walter Sawall

Personal information
Born	18 July 1899 Morgenroth, Germany
Died	31 January 1953 (aged 53) Erkner, Germany
Sport
Sport	Cycling
Medal record Representing  Germany UCI Motor-paced World Championships 1927 Cologne Professionals 1928 Budapest Professionals 1931 Copenhagen Professionals 1932 Rome Professionals

Walter Sawall (18 July 1899 – 31 January 1953) was a German cyclist. Between 1927 and 1931 he won four medals at the UCI Motor-paced World Championships, including two gold medals in 1928 and 1931.^[1][2]

He left school at age 15 to help earning money for his family of eight siblings. While distributing newspapers and goods he became involved in cycling. He had his first competition in 1916 and his biggest successes around 1930. For four years he rode behind Ernest Pasquier, a French pacer, though they could not speak each other's language.^[3] Sawall retired in 1934 due to a bowel disease developed from cycling. He died in 1953 of a brain tumor. In 1932, a street in Erkner, where he lived, was named after him.^[4]

References

1. Track Cycling World Championships 2012 to 1893. bikecult.com
2. Walter Sawall. radsportseiten.net
3. Illustrierter Radrennsport, 1 February 1931
4. Wolfgang Gronen/Walter Lemke: Geschichte des Fahrrades und des Radsports, Eupen 1978, p. 287