Rower Karsten Schmeling could not participate due to the Soviet-led boycott at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. However, he won the gold medal with the East German coxed fours at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Schmeling also won two coxed fours world titles, in 1986 and 1987. In 1981 and 1982, he added silvers with the coxed pairs, and in 1983 and 1987 another two silvers with the eights, plus a bronze medal with the coxed fours in 1985. Schmeling also won national titles with the coxed fours in 1986 and 1988. By profession he was a policeman until German re-unification when he later worked as a car mechanic in Hamm.
East Germany