Karl-Heinz Bußert was a member of the East German gold medal winning quadruple sculls at the 1976 Montréal Summer Games. He also won five World Championship golds (1977-79 and 1981-82), and also two silver medals (1983, 1985). Domestically, he won eight East German national titles, with the quadruple sculls in 1977-80 and 1982-83, and with the double sculls in 1979 and 1984.
Bußert was trained as a mechanic, but later worked with the East German police. He studied sports and political science and coached his home club SG Dynamo Potsdam, and later with the Regional Rowing Association of Brandenburg.