(2014 ☆ ARCHIVED) Günter Brümmer - Germany

GUNTER BRUMMER (left) (Germany) - Nominee for 'Lifetime Achievement'

Professor h.c. Günter Brümmer is a legend of the canoe slalom world. Günter has worked tirelessly for the sport as an athlete, coach and development worker. 

Günter paddled C2 for West Germany form the mid 1950s-60s, winning a silver medal in the C2 teams at the 1963 Canoe Slalom World Championships in Spittal. Together with seventeen other athletes he founded Kanusport Harburg (KSH), and went on to win eight German championships with his C2 partners.

After developing and learning in the elite German team, Günter studied at the German Sport University of Cologne and then became national coach for Germany from 1964 to 1996. During this time his athletes won more than fifty medals, including twenty World Championship golds and five Olympic medals. 

Günter took a holistic approach to coaching that was ahead of his time. He looked after the physical, technical and psychological needs of his athletes.

After retiring as German national coach, Günter became head coach of canoe slalom in China and was an important asset to their development ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. He also spent time as a development worker in Japan, Sweden and Switzerland.

Now in his 80s, Günter is still involved in the sport. Since retiring, he has returned to his old club KSH, where they are very happy to have his expertise and enthusiasm. You will see him involved at slalom World Cup races in Germany, where locals point him out to international paddlers and explain with pride the great impact he has had on the sport.

Günter Brümmer has been nominated for the ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award for his decades of tireless contributions to canoe slalom.

This is a 2014 archived nominee. For the 2015 nominees click on the button below.