World Rowing Championships
Zeidler remains skiff king – eighth booked Olympic ticket
Single rowing world champion: Oliver Zeidler. photo
© Darko Vojinovic/AP/dpa
In the end there is finally reason to be happy. Oliver Zeidler’s gold in the single sculls and the Olympic qualification in the eights provide the German rowers with some consolation over the mixed World Cup.
Confident triumph in the singles, no shipwreck in the eights – the German rowers have a conciliatory final note at the World Cup Belgrade protected from further damage to its image.
Just a few minutes after exceptional Oliver Zeidler’s third World Cup title after 2019 and 2022, the German eight also demonstrated strong nerves. Fifth place in the final paved the team around batsman Mattes Schönherr’s direct route to Paris 2024 and saved them the tricky Olympic post-qualification. “That was the best race of the season. It was great how the boys handled the immense pressure,” said coach Sabine Tschäge, praising the team’s improvement in performance. “We saw that we can play in the world’s best ensemble.”
However, the old and new skiff king Zeidler provided the ultimate World Cup highlight from a German point of view. In an impressive manner, the 27-year-old defending champion relegated the Dutchman Simon Van Dorp and the New Zealander Thomas Mackintosh to second and third place. This ended the long wait for the first DRV medal in the 14 Olympic competition classes.
Only after a short break did the Munich player, who was struggling with circulatory problems, find his way to the award ceremony. “Three world championship titles, that’s pretty decent. I’m very, very proud,” he commented on his tour de force across Lake Ada. For the first time at this World Cup, the exceptional talent was in great demand at the end, but fended off the attacks of his opponents. “We saw a big battle today. It’s good that the lead from the first 1000 meters was enough,” said father and coach Heino Zeidler.
Germany eighth in the final fifth
The eight tried their luck with a strategy similar to that of Zeidler. In contrast to the cautious performance in the preliminary run, the team dared to get off to a quick start, stayed on par with the favorites up to the 1000 meter mark and demonstrated remarkable stamina in the final sprint. The thankless sixth place therefore went to the Americans, who had beaten the DRV team in the heat by over five seconds.
A horror scenario like the one in Sydney in 2000, when the DRV parade boat last missed out on an Olympic starting place, could be averted. Batsman Schönherr made no secret of his relief: “We looked to escape forward and were right in the middle of the action. There was another jolt through the team at the back.”
A total of six Olympic tickets
However, the courageous performances in the singles and eights could not hide the stagnating development in the DRV. In addition to these two boats, only the men’s quad sculls (place 6) were represented in the finals of the Olympic classes. In the fight for Olympic starting places, the DRV fleet achieved the minimum target of six boats, but showed little progress. There were seven German boats in Tokyo. “We are within the limit and have achieved what we set out to do. It was clear that we still had to qualify with a few boats,” said Brigitte Bielig. The head coach gives the best chances for further Olympic starting places to the lightweight men’s double scull and the women’s eight.
There were more World Cup medals in the non-Olympic boat classes and in para-rowing. The lightweight women’s double sculls and the lightweight men’s double sculls won silver. Third places went to Paul Umbach in the PR2 single sculls and the PR3 mixed foursome with coxswain.