Roswitha ESSER

Sprint canoeist Roswitha Esser won two gold medals in the K2 at the 1964 Tokyo and the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games, alongside her teammate Annemarie Zimmermann. In 1964 Esser and Zimmermann were awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, the highest German sports award. Both were also elected 1964 Sportswomen of the Year. The pair represented the mixed German team in Tokyo and West Germany in 1968. In 1972 Esser came back with her new partner Renate Breuer and finished fifth at the Olympics.

Esser also won a gold medal at the 1963 Worlds with Zimmermann, and in 1970 with Breuer. In 1966 she added a silver medal in the K1, winning three silvers in K4 in 1963, 1966, and 1971, also adding a K4 bronze in 1970. At the European Championships Esser won gold in 1963 and bronze in 1969 with Zimmermann in the K2, also claiming K4 medals with a silver in 1969 and a 1965 bronze.

Domestically Esser won West German titles in K2 with Zimmermann in 1962-64, and 1968-69, with non-Olympians Irene Rozema in 1965, Erika Rekitt in 1966, and Roswitha Spohr in 1972. Esser also won the K1 title in 1965-67.