Martin Winter rowed with the gold medal-winning East German quadruple sculls at the 1980 Moskva Olympics. He started his career as a single sculler and was East German champion in 1975 and also the bronze medalist at the World Championships. At the Montréal Olympics in 1976 Winter was scheduled to compete in the quadruple sculls but fell ill and could not start. In 1977-78 and 1981-82 he won four quadruple sculls world titles. He added a silver medal in 1983. Winter also won a double sculls bronze medal non-Olympian Olaf Moll in 1979.
Winter studied sports at the DHfK Leipzig and became a graduated sports teacher, and rowing coach with SC Magdeburg. In 1988, he died after an accident at the very young age of 33.
East Germany