Rower Edith Eckbauer won the bronze medal for West German in the coxless pairs with Thea Einöder at the 1976 Montréal Olympics. This medal was the first West German female rowing medal ever. The same year, both won the West German national title. Eckbauer had already won the double sculls title in 1970 with the non-Olympian Brigitte Völkner. In 1973, Eckbauer won the single sculls national title. In 1976, she added another title in the coxed fours with Thea Einöder, Isolde Eisele, Marianne Weber and cox Hanni Hadamek.
In 1971 and 1973, Eckbauer won a bronze medal at the European Championships in the single sculls, and in 1975, won a coxed fours bronze medal at the Worlds. By profession, she became a fitness and personal trainer. She was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, Germany’s highest sports award.
West Germany