German rower Bahne Rabe won two Olympic medals with the eights, winning gold at Seoul in 1988 representing West Germany, and in 1992 at Barcelona, when he won the bronze medal representing re-unified Germany. Rabe finished sixth with the eights at both the 1986 and 1987 World Championships. In 1991, he won the gold medal with the coxed fours, and in 1993 was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, Germany’s highest sports award.
At national championships Rabe won the coxed fours title in 1991. After his active career he couldn’t cope with his retirement from competitive sport and began to drink heavily (as a result of which he lost his driver’s licence twice). He also used to smoke and drink coffee excessively. He suffered from anorexia and died in 2001 two days ahead his 38th birthday from pneumonia, due to the anorexia. By profession, Rabe was a graduated computer scientist.
Germany 
West Germany