Detlef Kirchhoff

Rower Detlef Kirchhoff partnered Mario Streit and cox René Rensch in the coxed pairs at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and won the silver medal representing East Germany. The previous year the crew finished fourth at the World Championships. After re-unification Kirchhoff moved to the eights and won the bronze medal at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and silver at Atlanta in 1996. He partnered Robert Sens in the coxless pairs and finished a disappointing ninth at the 2000 Sydney Games.

At World Championships, Kirchhoff finished fifth with the East German eights in 1986, and fourth with the coxed pairs in 1987 and 1989. With the coxed fours he won the world title in 1990. After re-unification he joined the eights again and moved to the coxless pairs with Hans Sennewald in 1993, winning the silver medal and the gold medal one year later. In 1996, both finished sixth.

Kirchhoff won the East German national title with the eights in 1986 and 1988, and in 1989 with the coxed pairs. In re-unified Germany, he won the coxless pairs titles in 1993, 1998-2000 and 2002. He was also awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, Germany’s highest sports award in 1993. He later became a rowing coach at Berliner Ruder-Club.