Detlef Lewe


Detlef Lewe was a West German-German sprint canoeist who competed from the late 1950s to the early 1970s.

Sporting career

Competing in four Summer Olympics, Lewe earned two medals in the C-1 1000 m event with a silver in 1968 and a bronze in 1972. He also won four canoe sprint world championship medals with three golds and one silver. Lewe also carried the West German flag at the opening ceremonies of the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.

Later in life

After the Olympics, Dortmund-born Lewe moved to Munich and became a butcher, a business he ran until prior to his 2008 death. His shop was located near the Olympic area where the 1972 Summer Olympics were held. Lewe died in Munich after a brief illness.