Günther Schumacher was a member of the 4-man West German pursuit team that won the gold medal at the 1972 München Summer Games. The squad was later awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, Germany’s highest sports award. At Montréal in 1976 he repeated his performance with a second pursuit gold medal. Schumacher won four World Championship pursuit gold medals in 1970, 1973-75, and in 1977 won two silver medals at the Worlds, in the pursuit and 1 km track time trial. He also won ten West German national titles, and was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf a second time in 1976.
In 1973 Schumacher was elected Sportsman of the Year, and was part of the 1976 Olympic pursuit team that was named Team of the Year. Schumacher turned professional in 1977 and rode until the early 1980s. He then became a sports teacher and cycling coach, and also owned a bicycle shop in his hometown Kaarst.
West Germany