dThe German eight performs its first endurance test with the new crew on Lake Di Varese Passed reasonably convincingly. About 100 days before the Paris Olympic Games, the flagship of the German Rowing Federation (DRV) in Italy won internationally with a close third place in the first World Cup of the year. The result of Friday's opening race did not offer much reason for optimism. The German crew was still busy lining up the boat when the race began and the competitors moved away.
“We missed the beginning. In the eight it is fatal, because you quickly lose a quarter of a body,” said national coach Sabine Tschäge: “We had to advance from behind and we were in an extremely unfavorable position.” The German team was able to catch After a bad start, they They united the Austrians and quickly distanced themselves from them, but the difference with the Dutch was too great.
Performances fluctuate
Things were better in Saturday's repechage race. With second place in a ship-to-ship battle, the Germans qualified for the A final behind the eight Italians. “We wanted to beat the Italians and we also had a small advantage. We settled too soon and in the end we were punished for it,” said helmsman Jonas Wiesen.
For the final, the Germans finally hoped to improve and, above all, the consistency they were missing. The performance of the eight crew members has been fluctuating for months. The last race was not just about a good qualifying, but also about building self-confidence in the face of strong competition.
The British and Dutch advanced early, giving the Germans no chance to intervene in the fight for victory. The prospect of third place persisted. This time the eight Germans beat the Italians with an advantage of less than a second.
The final was less dramatic for Oliver Zeidler. With a clear advantage, the 27-year-old also demonstrated his dominance in the single sculls in Varese. The three-time world champion is considered the favorite to win the Olympic competition. He won with about three seconds ahead of the Dutchman Simon van Dorp and the Italian Davide Mumolo.
Arno Gaus came second in the lightweight category. The DRV also had cause for celebration among women. Alexandra Föster took second place in both the single and double sculls. A little later, the double sculls came third.