She was a three-time Olympic gold medalist and eight-time world record holder.

Her husband, Lutz Wanja, is also a retired German Olympic swimmer.

[1] Krause, like many of the East German athletes of that time, was doped by her coaches[2][3] under instruction from the Stasi.

[4][5] At the time of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal Krause was forced off the East German swimming team because "team doctors had miscalculated her dose of drugs and worried she might test positive at the Games".

[6] Both of her children were born with deformed feet, which was later attributed to her use of steroids.