Detlef Hofmann was a member of the German flatwater kayak fours that won the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He also won three gold medals, two silvers and one bronze at the World Championships, all with the kayak fours.
Shortly before the 1992 Barcelona Games, Hofmann was convicted of doping with testosterone, and suspended by the German team management, and also banned for two years. In 2001 he became a member if the national team’s coaching staff. Domestically, Hofmann won 19 national titles.