Horst Meyer

Rower Horst Meyer was a member of the eights at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics that won the silver medal. The boat from Ratzeburger RC was the so-called Deutschland-Achter (Germany Eight), which won the 1962 World Championships and the 1963-65 European Championships. Meyer also won West German Championships in the eights from 1962-68. In 1964, Meyer was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, the highest sports award in West Germany.

Meyer stayed in the new eights crew after 1965 and won a gold medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games. This crew then carried the Olympic flag into the stadium at the 1972 München Olympics. He also won golds at the 1966 Worlds and the 1965 and 1967 Europeans. He was also on the boat at the 1965 Henley regatta when it defeated the United States.

Meyer later studied business economics and headed a consulting company. He was also on the board of the Deutsche Sporthilfe (German Sports Aid), and was elected to the National Olympic Committee several times. He also became involved in the peace movement, which led to the founding of the “Athletes for Peace against Nuclear Warriors” initiative. After German reunification, this movement had less influence and essentially disbanded.