As a young man Rolf Bastel worked as a firefighter and played water polo in his spare time. Bastel competed for SG Dynamo Magdeburg before becoming the team’s coach, with them winning the East German championship from 1952 to 1962. The team competed in the European Cup competition during the 1960s, finishing third on two occasions. He was soon appointed as the coach of the East German national team, leading them to the final of the 1966 European Championships in the Netherlands. Two years later Bastel was the head coach of the team at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, with the East Germans finishing sixth. After the Olympics he worked as the head of Dynamo Magdeburg’s swimming centre until his retirement.
East Germany