Ulrike Deppe

Whitewater canoeist Ulrike Deppe finished a disappointing seventh in the K-1 at the 1972 München Olympics, where canoe slalom events were held on the Augsburg course for the first time at the Olympics (and for the last time until 1992). She was much more successful at World Championships. In 1975 she won two silver medals in the individual K-1 event and with the K-1 team, and in 1971 she claimed two gold medals. In 1973 Deppe again claimed an individual silver and a gold with the team, and in 1975 she added another individual silver. In 1979 she won silver with the K-1 team, and in 1981 another two gold medals in the individual K-1 and with the K-1 team. Domestically she won four West German titles between 1976 and 1982.

By profession, Deppe graduated as a school teacher and became a school director in Neuss. She also later trained as a systemic therapist and couples sexual counselor and worked in her own practice. She became a long-time athlete’s speaker for the canoe slalom national team. She was later inducted into the German Canoe Slalom Hall of Fame and was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, the highest sports award in Germany.