German rower Christiane Harzendorf was a member of the German eights at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, winning the bronze medal comfortably ahead of the rest of the field. Therefore, the crew was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, Germany’s highest sports award. At World Championships, she won the coxless fours title with the former GDR in 1989, and a bronze medal with the eights in 1990. In 1993, she added another bronze with the German eights.
On a national level, Harzendorf won the GDR the coxless fours title in 1989, and with the eights in 1990. From 1992-94 she then won three consecutive titles in re-unified Germany. By profession, she became an industrial clerk and moved to Saarland in West Germany.