Thirteen crews entered in two heats on July 30, but one withdrew.
The top three finishers from each of the heats advanced directly to the final while the remaining six teams were relegated to the semifinal.
In the official report, Mincheya's first name was listed as Velichka.
The top three finishers in the semifinal (raced on August 1) advanced to the final.
The East Germans achieved the most decisive victory in women's Olympic canoeing ever.