Schwerin rowing youth triumphs at the federal regatta in Munich!

Schwerin rowing youth triumphs at the federal regatta in Munich!

In the last few days, rowing in Germany has been shaped by the Schwerin Rowing Youth, who have put in a lot of effort at the national level. At the competitions in Munich, a total of 1,033 young rowers from all over Germany competed in the disciplines of long distance, general sports competition and the highly competitive national regatta. A complete success for the delegation from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which also included a motivated team from Schwerin, as reported in detail by nordkurier.de.

A very special highlight was the mixed double sculls in the 13/14 age group with the talented rowers Elisabeth Krüger, Lion Große, Paula Schöpp, Fynn Raben and helmsman Daniil Velychko, who won the national championship. Kamil Bekirov and Matti Hodea, who were able to defend their title in the double sculls (AK 13/14), also impressed with the fastest time on the long distance and were also rewarded with an invitation to a course in Ratzeburg. Here they were able to demonstrate their skills again and win the race.

Successes in double sculls and general sports competitions

It's not just the first places that are worth mentioning. Ben Leipold and Henry Schmidt achieved second place in the double sculls (AK 12/13) and came third in the youth rowing course in Munich. Ylvi Hochleutner and Ole Janke with Lian Peppler also caused a stir: Ylvi fought for third place in the long-distance sculls (AK 14) and also made it to 15th place overall, while Ole and Lian took third place in the lightweight double scull (AK 12/13) in the second division of the federal regatta.

Brida Möller and Fiona Motullo rowed to sixth place in their division in the double sculls (AK 13/14). In the general sports competition, an important platform for the youngest, the Schwerin rowers also showed a lot of skill, strength and knowledge in various exercises as well as a knowledge test on rowing rules, safety and material science. Teamwork and continuous training, according to coach Thomas Schulz, are the key to these successes.

The German Rowing Association and its history

Rowing in Germany has long since developed from a fringe sport to a sport with a lot of media interest. As the German Rowing Association (DRV), which was founded in Cologne in 1883, explains, it is the oldest association in German sport and at the same time one of the most successful rowing associations in the world. The DRV not only influences competitive sports, but also promotes activities in touring rowing and recreational sports, which shows that rowing is a sport for all ages and levels of ability. Rowing has been part of the Olympic competition program since 1896 and continues to be followed with enthusiasm, due to the country's rich traditions and successes in international competitions, as referenced in wikipedia.org.

The Olympic regatta has evolved over the years, and the gender balance has also changed more significantly thanks to developments such as the first women's competitions in Montreal in 1976. As of the 2020 Olympics, there will be gender parity in participation numbers, a move that will make rowing more accessible to athletes of all genders.

Overall, the enthusiasm for rowing in Germany is unbroken. The DRV and the regional associations such as the one in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania support the athletes with a solid framework of trainers, infrastructure and financial resources that come from public institutions and sponsors.