Maybe that was it now, the last time at the Olympics in a rowboat. Jason Osborne doesn’t know exactly yet, but as a precaution he had to save everything that he experienced in Tokyo. Life in the village, the training, the scenery: every few minutes, planes pass the oar course as they approach. In the distance, the huge bridge protrudes, it has a futuristic touch, its steel girders look like the wings of a bird of prey. If he watches his award ceremony again later, he will rediscover it.
Osborne was a rower all his life as an athlete. But he had long forged a new plan. Because the International Olympic Committee (IOC) wanted to remove the easy double scull from the Olympic program, Osborne got more and more enthusiastic about cycling, even took part in German road racing championships, hit one at a so-called “eCycling World Cup” last December virtual home trainer even cycling greats like Rigoberto Uran. Now the IOC did not cancel the two, and there will still be medals to be won in Paris. “I do not rule out that we will still be at the start in Paris,” said Osborne on Thursday, “for me there is now another challenge with cycling. I would like to give it a try and see what goes on there . ” A complicated emotional situation.
Osborne let himself tip over backwards in the boat when he had contested the final with Jonathan Rommelmann, it was a tough race. It has to be the same at the Olympic Games. Rommelmann raised his fists in the sky behind him, Osborne was breathing heavily. It is unclear whether they will row together again at the Olympics, but now they had won silver for the first time, behind Ireland and ahead of Italy. Very good – or not?
Neither of them were really sure, sometimes looking to the future can shape the moment. And it looked like they might have the last chance for gold in Tokyo. “Our goal was to beat the Irish,” said Osborne, it was an ambitious project: the competitors Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy are world and European champions after all. Osborne and Rommelmann took on the race bravely and led at half time after one kilometer with a small margin. “The third 500 meters were crucial for us. We knew that they were going for a good pace because they always come there,” said Osborne, you know each other: It wasn’t until April that the Germans won silver in the European Championship, behind these Irishmen.
“It was always our goal to be on the same level as the Irish at 1500 meters,” said Osborne, they had done that this time – but in the final sprint they were left behind. “Unfortunately, the goal came a little too late for us.” . The Germans had every reason to celebrate exuberantly on this Thursday morning in Tokyo – not only because they were able to bring the German Rowing Association the first medal at these games. The wind had again made for difficult conditions, “if you are not paying attention, it can knock you down,” said Rommelmann. The main problem was the gusts. But the two Germans stayed focused. “It’s important to get rid of fear and concentrate on rowing. That’s all you can do,” said Osborne. Since the Olympic premiere in 1996, no German lightweight double scull had managed to reach the medal ranks among the men. For women there was silver in 2000 and 2004.
Lightweight rowers are considered to be the more tech-savvy, because they can use less muscle mass to propel them, so what matters most is working with the oar. Both athletes are only allowed to weigh 140 kilos together, they have to “sweat off” before the competition. Packed in thick clothes, you get on your bike so that the scales don’t show too much at the end. “At first you are a little dehydrated,” said Rommelmann after the trip to Silber. He then had to go to the doping control, which then dragged on for some time. “It takes time for the water to reach the bottom.”
He now wants to advance his medical studies while Osborne tries his hand at cycling. “In the background I have very good people who have done a good job for me. I am confident that you can find a good racing team,” he said.
But on Thursday in Tokyo, they wanted to push the future far away from themselves. “Today we want to enjoy the day first,” said Rommelmann, “we will hopefully be able to have a little party in the room.”