Rüdiger Reiche

Rüdiger Reiche was a member of the East German gold medal winning quadruple sculls at the 1976 Montréal Summer Games. He won 10 East German national titles between 1974-85. He won the quadruple sculls in 1974, 1980 and 1985, the double sculls in 1977, 1980 and 1984, and the single sculls in 1978-79, 1982 and 1984.

In his youth Reiche was a shot putter and discus thrower, but moved to rowing in 1970. In 1973, he won his first international medal with a silver in the single sculls at the Youth World Championships. The following year he won the gold medal at the World Championships with the quadruple sculls. In 1977, he moved to the double sculls and partnered with Uli Schmied, and they won silver at the Worlds that same year. In 1978, Reiche won the world silver medal, and in 1979, the bronze medal in the single sculls, adding another silver medal in 1981. His greatest moment came in 1982 when he won the gold medal at the World Championships in the single sculls. The next year he added another silver with the quadruple sculls, which he emulated in 1985.

Reiche studied sports at the DHfK Leipzig and became a rowing coach at club and national levels. After re-unification he worked as an insurance agent.