# Bernd Baumgart
**Bernd Baumgart** (born 1955 in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Sachsen-Anhalt) is a retired East German rower who won Olympic gold in the men's coxed eight at the 1976 Montréal Summer Games.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37574) He competed for East Germany (GDR) and rowed for SC DHfK Leipzig, a sport club of the German University of Physical Culture.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37574) • [2](https://www.olympedia.org/affiliations/2277)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1955, Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Sachsen-Anhalt[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37574) |
| Club | SC DHfK, Leipzig[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37574) |
| Measurements | 190 cm / 84 kg[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37574) |
| Olympic result | Gold, men's coxed eight, Montréal 1976, final time 5:58.29[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37574) • [3](https://www.olympedia.org/results/158723) |
| National title | Coxless pairs, 1974, with Roland Kostulski (his only East German national title)[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37574) |
| Retirement | 1979, for reasons of ill-health; became a sports teacher[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37574) |
## The 1976 Olympic eight
The crew consisted of Bernd Baumgart, Gottfried Döhn, Werner Klatt, Roland Kostulski, Hans-Joachim Lück, Dieter Wendisch, Ulrich Karnatz, and Karl-Heinz Prudöhl, with Karl-Heinz Danielowski as coxswain.[3](https://www.olympedia.org/results/158723) • [4](https://odp.mjchost.com/mobilexhtml/results/1976c-row.htm)
East Germany entered the event as the favorite, having won the men's eight at the final European Championships (the tournament was discontinued after 1973) and at the 1975 World Championships.[3](https://www.olympedia.org/results/158723) In the opening round on 18 July 1976 the crew won its heat in 5:32.17, an Olympic record that broke the mark Australia had set earlier the same day.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37574) • [3](https://www.olympedia.org/results/158723) In the final on 25 July the East German boat won in 5:58.29, nearly three seconds ahead of Great Britain (6:00.82), with New Zealand taking bronze in 6:03.51.[3](https://www.olympedia.org/results/158723) • [4](https://odp.mjchost.com/mobilexhtml/results/1976c-row.htm)
The gold was one of nine rowing titles East Germany won at Montréal, where GDR crews took 14 of 42 rowing medals.[5](https://mcubed.net/oly/summer/years/y1976srowing.shtml)
## Career before and after Montréal
In 1974, rowing for SC DHfK Leipzig, Baumgart finished as East German vice-champion in the coxless pair together with [Roland Kostulski](https://www.edgepedia.org/roland-kostulski); the pair went on to win the 1974 national title, the only East German championship of Baumgart's career.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37574)
Ill-health forced him to end his career early, in 1979, and he later worked as a sports teacher, at a vocational school in Bernau according to the German-language account.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37574) SC DHfK Leipzig has included him in its "Club der Legenden" (Club of Legends) honoring the club's Olympic medalists.[6](https://scdhfk.de/club-der-legenden/)
## Namesakes
Bernd Baumgart should not be confused with other athletes of similar name: Bernd Baumgartner, an Austrian HYROX athlete whose best recorded time is 1:03:24,[7](https://www.rox-coach.com/athletes/bernd-baumgartner) and the wrestler [Bruce Baumgartner](https://www.edgepedia.org/bruce-baumgartner), an American Olympic medalist in four consecutive Games from 1984 to 1996.[8](https://usopm.org/bruce-baumgartner/)
## References
1. [Olympedia – Bernd Baumgart](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37574)
2. [Olympedia – SC DHfK, Leipzig (GER)](https://www.olympedia.org/affiliations/2277)
3. [Olympedia – Eights, Men (Montréal 1976 results)](https://www.olympedia.org/results/158723)
4. [Montréal 1976 – Rowing results](https://odp.mjchost.com/mobilexhtml/results/1976c-row.htm)
5. [mcubed.net – 1976 Rowing medal counts](https://mcubed.net/oly/summer/years/y1976srowing.shtml)
6. [SC DHfK Leipzig – Club der Legenden](https://scdhfk.de/club-der-legenden/)
7. [Rox-Coach – Bernd Baumgartner, HYROX athlete](https://www.rox-coach.com/athletes/bernd-baumgartner)
8. [U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame – Bruce Baumgartner](https://usopm.org/bruce-baumgartner/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Water sports › Rowers and coxswains › German and East German rowers › East German rowers*
*Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license