Ralf Bartels is a German shot putter. He became European Champion at the 2006 European Championships in Athletics in Gothenburg, Sweden after beating Belarusian Andrei Mikhnevich with a final put of 21.13 metres, two centimetres ahead of the Belarusian.

The 19th European Athletics Championships were held in Gothenburg, Sweden, between 7 August and 13 August 2006. The competition arena was the Ullevi Stadium and the official motto "Catch the Spirit". Gothenburg also hosted the 1995 World Championships in Athletics, and Stockholm, Sweden's capital, hosted 1958 European Athletics Championships.