Anke Borchmann was a member of the East German gold medal winning coxed quadruple sculls at the 1976 Montréal Summer Games, when women’s rowing was on the Olympic agenda for the first time. In 1975 she won the World Championships with the quadruple sculls, and in 1977 with the double sculls, partnering with Roswietha Zobelt.
In 1974 and 1978, Borchmann won East German national titles with the quadruple sculls, and in the double sculls with Zobelt in 1977. Until re-unification she worked with the Nationale Volksarmee (National People’s Army) and after re-unification with the federal water police.