Jürgen KRETSCHMER

Canoe slalom events – held on the canoe slalom course of Augsburg - appeared at the Olympics for the first time in 1972 (and for the last time until 1992). Rolf-Dieter Amend partnered Walter Hofmann in the Canadian doubles and won the gold medal as the reigning World runners-up in the C-2 and beating reigning World champions and teammates from East Germany Jürgen Kretschmer and Klaus Trummer, who came in a disappointing fourth.

In 1971 Kretschmer and Trummer also won the C-2 team World Championships. In 1973 both came in second and third with the team, and in 1975 they claimed another two gold medals in the C-2 and with the C-2 team. They were East German champions in 1968, 1970, 1971 and 1973, and in 1968, 1969, 1971 and 1975 with the team of SC DHfK Leipzig. Both later became members of the German Canoe Slalom Hall of Fame.