FISA, the International Rowing Federation, did not recognise East Germany as a country and insisted on one German team per boat class.

The negotiations were led by Willi Daume and Heinz Schöbel, presidents of the national Olympic committees of West and East Germany, respectively.

[5][6] Compared to the women, the situation was opposite, with West German rowers historically dominant; in 1963, they had won all boat classes.

[8] The following day, the remaining trials for single sculls, coxless pairs, coxed fours, and the eights were held in Duisburg.

[17] In the single scull event, the rowers that placed outside the medals were Murray Watkinson (NZL; fourth), Eugeniusz Kubiak (POL; fifth), and Gottfried Kottmann (SUI; sixth).

In the coxless pair, the American brothers Joseph and Thomas Amlong came fourth, while the Soviet rowers Oleg Golovanov and Valentin Boreyko came fifth.