Walter Leiser joined RC Thalwil in 1948 and quickly demonstrated a proficiency in rowing. In 1952 he was selected to represent Switzerland in the coxed fours at the Helsinki Olympics where, alongside Rico Bianchi, Karl Weidmann, Heini Scheller, and Émile Ess, he won a silver medal behind Czechoslovakia. The quintet’s next stop was the 1953 European Championships, where they captured bronze, this time behind Switzerland and the Soviet Union. Following this, Leiser’s teammates switched to the coxless fours and Leiser assembled a new coxed squad that included Heini’s brother Hansreudi. This crew competed at the 1954 European Championships, but did not reach the final.
Switzerland