East German judoka Karl-Heinz Lehmann won a bronze medal at the 1980 Moskva Games in the lightweight class. That same year, he also won a bronze medal at the European Championships. The following year he added a gold medal at the Europeans and another bronze medal at the World Championships. In 1982 and 1983 he won a silver and bronze medal at the Europeans, respectively.
Lehmann studied sports and graduated in 1984. He then started a coaching career with his home club ASK Vorwärts Frankfurt on Oder, later renamed JC 90 Frankfurt. He also coached at the Regional Olympic Center in Brandenburg.