Épée and sabre fencer Walter Köstner participated in three consecutive Olympic Games: in 1960 and 1964 within the mixed German team, and in 1968 for West Germany. In all occasions the sabre team reached the quarterfinals, as did the épée team in 1960. Individually he reached the single sabre final pools in 1964 and finished seventh as his best Olympic result. Nationally he claimed four individual sabre and one individual épée titles.
Walter Köstner became "famous" among fencers because he lost his footing while trying to retreat from Jerzy Pawłowski of Poland during the 1964 Olympics and a press photographer happened to take a picture of him horizontal in mid-air.
