Manfred Klein
Manfred Klein (born 1947 in Berlin) is a German rowing coxswain who steered West German and German national crews from 1972 to 1992, won Olympic gold in the men's eight at the 1988 Seoul Games, and took bronze in the same event at the 1992 Barcelona Games.1 A coxswain does not row; the role calls the stroke rate and steers the boat, which is why Klein, at 170 cm and 50 kg, competed against much larger athletes.1
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1947, Berlin, Germany1 |
| Club | RC Tegel, Berlin (joined 1961)1 |
| Olympic record | Fifth in the eights (1972), sixth in the coxed fours (1984), gold in the eights (1988), bronze in the eights (1992)1 |
| World titles | Three consecutive world championships golds in the men's eight, 1989 to 19911 |
| National titles | Nine West German titles 1979 to 1990; eighteen German championship wins overall from 1973 to 19921 |
| 1992 honor | Flagbearer for the unified German team at the Barcelona opening ceremony1 |
Career
At his second Olympics, Los Angeles 1984, the coxed four finished sixth.1
The 1988 gold. The rebuilt crew won the Olympic final at Seoul on 2 October 1988 in 5:46.05, ahead of the Soviet Union in 5:48.01 and the United States in 5:48.26.2
A run of world titles. The eight went on to win the World Championships in 1989, 1990, and 1991, all with Klein steering, and also took the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley in 1989 and 1990 and the men's eight at the 1990 Seattle Goodwill Games.1
Barcelona 1992 and the end of his career
At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics the unified German eight, with four consecutive world titles behind it, entered as the favorite. It finished third in 5:31.00, behind Canada (5:29.53) and Romania (5:29.67).2 The crew included Frank Richter, Thorsten Streppelhoff, Detlef Kirchhoff, Armin Eichholz, Bahne Rabe, Hans Sennewald, Ansgar Wessling, stroke Roland Baar, and Klein.2
Klein's career closed with a ceremonial honor: he carried the German flag at the Barcelona opening ceremony, leading a unified German team into the stadium for the first time in 28 years.1
References
Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Water sports › Rowers and coxswains › Coxswains
Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026
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