Nordwig won five European titles: three outdoors (1966, 1969 and 1971) and two indoors (1971 and 1972). Domestically he won the East German title outdoors in 1965-72 and indoors in 1964-66, and 1969-72. During his career he set two world records. The first occasion was on 17 June 1970 in Berlin, Germany when he cleared . The second was on 3 September 1970 in Turin, Italy, when he broke his own world record with a jump of . In 1972 he became East German Sportsman of the Year and retired from competitions.