1. In 2005, Steiner left the Austrian weightlifting federation, and married a German woman.
19 Facts About Matthias Steiner
1. 2.
Matthias Steiner suffers from Type-1 diabetes, diagnosed at his 18th birthday.
3.
Matthias Steiner went to the doctor when his sight deteriorated.
4.
In 2004, a German woman from Zwickau in Saxony had watched Matthias Steiner participating in weightlifting contests on TV.
5.
Matthias Steiner kept asking the Eurosport commentators for his email address, until they gave it to her.
6.
Matthias Steiner contacted Steiner, and he agreed to meet her in Lower Austria.
7.
Matthias Steiner participated in the 1998 and 1999 European Junior Championships, and the 2000 Junior World Championships.
8.
Matthias Steiner kept the coach as personal coach, who however did not get accredited for the 2005 European Championships in Sofia.
9.
At the European Championships, a lot went wrong and Matthias Steiner failed three snatch attempts.
10.
Matthias Steiner had to compete in the B-group, because the European Weightlifting Federation did not accept the announced starting weights.
11.
Matthias Steiner received German citizenship in early 2008, and started to compete internationally again, for Germany.
12.
The biggest success of Matthias Steiner's career came in August 2008, when he won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
13.
Matthias Steiner stood on the medalists' podium with a photo of his late wife, who would otherwise have accompanied him to the Games.
14.
In January 2009, Matthias Steiner was operated on for an inguinal hernia.
15.
Matthias Steiner had to pull out of competing at the 2009 Arnold Sports Festival in March, nevertheless was part of the German delegation at the event and met with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
16.
Matthias Steiner announced his retirement from competitive weightlifting in March 2013.
17.
Matthias Steiner participated in Season 8 of the German TV dance show Let's Dance, finishing third.
18.
On 20 August 2008, the day after he won the Olympic gold medal, Matthias Steiner featured on the cover of China Daily's Olympian, titled "Supersteiner".
19.
Apart from sports events, where he participated in or commented on weightlifting competitions, Matthias Steiner appeared on a number of talk shows and game shows in Germany and Austria, including Wetten, dass.