Raphael Marcel Holzdeppe (born 28 September 1989) is a German pole vaulter, who was world champion at his event. He lives in Zweibrücken in Germany and represents the sports club LAZ Zweibrücken.
Biography Holzdeppe, who is of African origin, was adopted by a German couple shortly after his birth. He was raised in Kaiserslautern in Germany.
Holzdeppe finished fifth at the 2006 World Junior Championships and won the 2008 World Junior Championships. At the 2007 European Junior Championships, he notably got no result, having no-heighted in the qualifying round. He received the bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, behind countryman Björn Otto and Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie.
His personal best jump is 5.94 metres, achieved on 26 July 2015 set in Nuremberg. A previous personal best was 5.80 metres, achieved in June 2008, setting the world junior record. He holds the world junior indoor record with 5.68 metres, achieved in March 2008 in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt. As a result of this feat, he won the 2008 European Athletics Rising Star of the Year Award. Meanwhile, he finished his Abitur in the lyceum of Helmholtz in Zweibrücken.
Holzdeppe won his first senior world title at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow with a jump of 5.89 m.
Competition record Representing 2005World Youth ChampionshipsMarrakesh, Morocco –NM2006World Junior ChampionshipsBeijing, China5th5.30 m2007European Junior ChampionshipsHengelo, Netherlands –NM2008World Junior ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, Poland1st5.50 mOlympic GamesBeijing, China7th5.60 m2009European U23 ChampionshipsKaunas, Lithuania1st5.65 m2010European ChampionshipsBarcelona, Spain9th5.60 m2011European U23 ChampionshipsOstrava, Czech Republic6th5.50 mWorld ChampionshipsDaegu, South Korea20th (q)5.50 m2012European ChampionshipsHelsinki, Finland3rd5.77 mOlympic GamesLondon, United Kingdom3rd5.91 m2013European Indoor ChampionshipsGothenburg, Sweden8th5.61 mWorld ChampionshipsMoscow, Russia1st5.89 m2015World ChampionshipsBeijing, China2nd5.90 m2016Olympic GamesRio de Janeiro, Brazil26th (q)5.45 m2017European Indoor ChampionshipsBelgrade, Serbia5th5.80 mWorld ChampionshipsLondon, United Kingdom5th (q)5.70 m12018World Indoor ChampionshipsBirmingham, United Kingdom5th5.80 mEuropean ChampionshipsBerlin, Germany –NM2019World ChampionshipsDoha, Qatar6th5.70 m 1No mark in the final
See also Germany all-time top lists – Pole vault
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