In 1976 Andrea Mitscherlich, earned a silver medal in the 3,000m only 2½ months after her fifteenth birthday to become the youngest female athlete ever to win a medal in an individual event at the Olympic Winter Games.
She competed in the Olympic Games again in 1980, but without medal success. However, in 1984 she won the 3,000m. Although this made her an Olympic champion, it is her silver medals that earned Schöne a special place in the record books. In addition to the one she won in 1976, she added two more, at 1,500m and 1,000m, in 1984.
At the 1988 Winter Games, she broke the 3,000m world record by 4.67 seconds and the 5,000m world record by 3.24 seconds, but in both races she was beaten by Yvonne van Gennip. Andrea, who also earned a bronze medal in the 1988 1,000m, is one of only three winter athletes in any sport to win five silver medals.