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). Walter Hofmann partnered with Rolf-Dieter Amend in the Canadian doubles and won the gold medal as the reigning World runners-up in the C-2, defeating reigning World Champions and teammates from East Germany Jürgen Kretschmer and Klaus Trummer, who came in a disappointing fourth. Amend and Hofmann also won the World Championships as members of the C-2 team in 1971 and 1975. In 1969, 1972 and 1975 they also claimed East German titles. In 1976 Hofmann partnered with non-Olympian Jürgen Kalbitz and won his fourth national title and in 1977 the World Championship. Hofmann was elected into the German Canoe Slalom Hall of Fame.
East Germany