{ "id": "ep3wn0wgwq", "slug": "michael-steinbach", "title": "Michael Steinbach", "updated": "2026-10-25", "topic_path": [ { "id": "play", "label": "Sports, games, and recreation", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play" }, { "id": "play.individual", "label": "Individual sports and outdoor recreation", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.individual" }, { "id": "play.individual.water", "label": "Water sports", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.individual.water" }, { "id": "play.individual.water.rowing.people", "label": "Rowers and coxswains", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.individual.water.rowing.people" }, { "id": "play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers", "label": "German and East German rowers", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers" }, { "id": "play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers.reunified-german-rowers", "label": "Reunified German rowers", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers.reunified-german-rowers" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers", "label": "Western Europe · 1946 to 2000: German and East German rowers", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers", "path": [ { "id": "geo.weu", "label": "Western Europe", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946", "label": "Western Europe · 1946 to 2000", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.play", "label": "Sports, games, and recreation", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.play" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.play.individual", "label": "Individual sports and outdoor recreation", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.play.individual" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.play.individual.water", "label": "Water sports", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.play.individual.water" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.play.individual.water.rowing.people", "label": "Rowers and coxswains", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.play.individual.water.rowing.people" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers", "label": "German and East German rowers", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Michael Steinbach (born 1969 in Überlingen, Germany) is a German former rower who won Olympic gold in the men's quadruple sculls at Barcelona 1992, then retired.", "snippet": "Michael Steinbach (born 1969 in Überlingen, Germany) is a German former rower who won Olympic gold in the men's quadruple sculls at Barcelona 1992, then retired.", "node": "play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers.reunified-german-rowers", "markdown": "# Michael Steinbach\n\n**Michael Steinbach** (born 1969 in Überlingen, Baden-Württemberg) is a German former rower who won the gold medal in the men's quadruple sculls (four-rower shell; each rower uses two oars) at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and then retired from competition.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/38001)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Born | 1969, Überlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/38001) |\n| Measurements | 195 cm / 93 kg[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/38001) |\n| Club | RC Favorite-Hammonia, Hamburg[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/38001) |\n| Olympic result | Gold, men's quadruple sculls, Barcelona 1992, final time 5:45.17 (Olympic best)[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/38001) • [2](https://www.olympedia.org/results/159204) |\n| Crewmates | André Willms, Andreas Hajek, Stephan Volkert[2](https://www.olympedia.org/results/159204) |\n| Award | Silver Laurel Leaf (Silbernes Lorbeerblatt), Germany's highest sports award, presented by Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker in 1992[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/38001) |\n\n## Rowing career\n\nSteinbach began his career at the Ulmer RC Donau, and his first international successes came after he moved to the Überlinger RC Bodan.\n\nAt the 1991 World Rowing Championships his German quadruple sculls finished fourth.[7](https://worldrowing.com/athlete/michael-steinbach)\n\n## Barcelona 1992\n\nThe men's quadruple sculls at the 1992 Games, held on Lake Bañolas from 28 July to 2 August, drew 60 scullers from 15 countries. The Soviet Union had won the event at the two previous World Championships, and its successor, the Unified Team, entered as the favorite. Germany instead set the tone, winning its opening heat in an Olympic record 5:45.65 on 28 July.[2](https://www.olympedia.org/results/159204) In the semifinals the Soviets, who had been performing poorly, were eliminated, while Germany and Italy won their heats.[2](https://www.olympedia.org/results/159204)\n\nIn the final on 2 August the German crew of André Willms, Andreas Hajek, Stephan Volkert, and Michael Steinbach led through the middle of the race and won in 5:45.17, improving on its own Olympic record. Norway took silver in 5:47.09, edging Italy by 0.24 seconds, and Italy held bronze by only 0.09 seconds ahead of Switzerland.[2](https://www.olympedia.org/results/159204) The 5:45.17 stood as the Olympic record for the event through the 1996 Atlanta Games.[3](https://www.olympedia.org/results/159388)\n\nThe crew was subsequently awarded the Silver Laurel Leaf, Germany's highest sports award, presented by Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/38001) Steinbach retired after the Barcelona Games and was the only member of the champion crew not to continue rowing beyond 1992; Hajek, Volkert, and Willms raced together at three successive Olympics, winning gold again in Atlanta in 1996 and bronze in Sydney in 2000.[4](https://worldrowing.com/2016/05/09/olympic-countdown-men-quadruple-sculls/)\n\n## Life after rowing\n\nSteinbach completed a degree as a graduate economist (Diplom-Volkswirt).[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/38001) • [5](https://www.bodensee-campus.de/bodensee-campus/leitung-dozenten/unternehmensleitung/)\n\nSince 2012 he has been managing director of the Bodensee Campus in Konstanz, a study center founded in 2011 as an offshoot of the Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Umwelt Nürtingen-[Geislingen](https://www.edgepedia.org/geislingen), which by 2021 offered seven degree programs with more than 200 students and 81 lecturers.[6](https://www.suedkurier.de/region/kreis-konstanz/konstanz/studieren-mit-weltmeistern-und-olympiasiegern-der-bodensee-campus-wird-zehn-jahre-alt%3Bart372448%2C10774754) He also serves there as coordinator of practice partners for the outdoor and tourism management bachelor program.[5](https://www.bodensee-campus.de/bodensee-campus/leitung-dozenten/unternehmensleitung/)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Michael Steinbach, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/38001)\n2. [Quadruple Sculls, Men, Barcelona 1992, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/results/159204)\n3. [Quadruple Sculls, Men, Atlanta 1996, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/results/159388)\n4. [Olympic countdown: men's quadruple sculls, World Rowing](https://worldrowing.com/2016/05/09/olympic-countdown-men-quadruple-sculls/)\n5. [Unternehmensleitung, Bodensee Campus](https://www.bodensee-campus.de/bodensee-campus/leitung-dozenten/unternehmensleitung/)\n6. [Studieren mit Weltmeistern und Olympiasiegern: Der Bodensee Campus wird zehn Jahre alt, Südkurier](https://www.suedkurier.de/region/kreis-konstanz/konstanz/studieren-mit-weltmeistern-und-olympiasiegern-der-bodensee-campus-wird-zehn-jahre-alt%3Bart372448%2C10774754)\n7. [Michael Steinbach, World Rowing](https://worldrowing.com/athlete/michael-steinbach)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Water sports › Rowers and coxswains › German and East German rowers › Reunified German rowers*\n\n*Initially written Oct 20, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-steinbach", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-steinbach.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Michael Steinbach\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-steinbach. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Michael Steinbach](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-steinbach)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-steinbach](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-steinbach). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Michael Steinbach\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-steinbach. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Michael Steinbach is a German former rower who won Olympic gold in the men's quadruple sculls at Barcelona 1992, then retired." }