Olympic bronze medallist Helmar Müller has died at the age of 83 ©VfB Stuttgart

Helmar Müller, who helped West Germany to win men's 4x400 metres bronze at the Mexico City 1968 Olympics, has died aged 83.

Müller was a 400m specialist, and the year prior to winning his Olympic medal had enjoyed success at the Summer Universiade in Japan's capital Tokyo, where he won individual silver and relay gold.

At Mexico City 1968, Müller, Manfred Kinder, Gerhard Hennige and Martin Jellinghaus clocked 3min 00.57sec to finish third in a race in which the United States' team of Vincent Matthews, Ron Freeman, Larry James and Lee Evans set a world record time of 2:56.16 which stood for nearly 20 years.

Müller reached the semi-finals of the men's 400m at Mexico City 1968, in which he finished sixth in his race.

He also helped Germany to 4x400m relay bronze at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Austria's capital Vienna in 1970 with Dieter Hübner, Karl-Hermann Tofaute and Ulrich Strohhacker.

The US team set a world record time which stood for nearly 20 years in the men's 4x400m relay race at Mexico City 1968 ©Getty Images
The US team set a world record time which stood for nearly 20 years in the men's 4x400m relay race at Mexico City 1968 ©Getty Images

Müller enjoyed an association for more than six decades with the VfB Stuttgart club, serving as an athlete, coach, manager and official.

He had held VfB honorary membership since 2002.

"With Helmar Müller, VfB has lost an outstanding personality," the club said.

"He leaves a big void.

"Full of gratitude, VfB Stuttgart will always keep him in honourable memory and commemorate a great athlete and person with deep sympathy for his entire family."

Müller also served as assistant first team coach to Hungarian manager István Sztáni with VfB Stuttgart's football section in 1975, as a Board member from 1975 until 1987, an administrative Board member from 1987 until 1993 and an advisor and department manager for VfB Stuttgart II from 1977 until 2013.