European Championships: Rower Föster with EM bronze – Zeidler “bursts”

With trembling hands and a pale face, the physically battered rowing world champion Oliver Zeidler explained his failure at the disastrous European Championships at home. But he still had enough strength for a sharp attack on the German Rowing Association.

“If, after my criticism of the professionalism in competitive rowing, you simply say that you don’t know what you’re talking about, then that’s also an indication that on the one hand the German sports director really has little idea about sport, and on the other hand our two management positions in the Rowing actually have no idea what’s going on at our bases,” said Zeidler after missing the medal in the singles at the European Championships in Munich.

Just one medal – Zeidler fourth instead of gold

Bronze by 20-year-old Alexandra Föster was the only German medal in an Olympic boat class. Zeidler’s fourth place in the victory of the Dutchman Melvin Twellaar finally made the DRV debacle perfect the day after the Germany eights, who also only finished fourth. A month before the World Championships in the Czech Republic, the frustration among the protagonists is huge. The fact that the team had to start with a decimated fleet due to several corona cases was not a good explanation.

“Up to 1600, 1700 meters it was exactly the race I had planned. Then I just burst,” said Zeidler, who tried to get dizziness and headaches under control, crouching on the ground with ice packs and water bottles. “I was blue without end, it just didn’t work anymore.”

50 years after grandfather Hans-Johann Färber’s Olympic rowing victory on the same facility, Zeidler wanted to round off a very special family history with his own gold medal. In vain did grandpa bang along at the edge of the regatta course in Oberschleißheim. “The way he describes the track as his living room, when you have to take a defeat like that, it’s definitely tough,” said the 75-year-old.

Föster amazes and quietly criticizes

On the other hand, Föster, who stunned the experts five weeks ago with her victory at the World Cup final in Lucerne and won the U23 World Championships a little later, was overjoyed after her third place thanks to a strong final sprint in the singles victory of the Dutch Karolien Florijn. “That’s quite a jump,” said the athlete from Meschede about her steep ascent.

In vain she too cheered on the bitter Zeidler race. “I’m really sorry for him. It’s very special for him here in Munich because he’s from here,” said the 20-year-old. She also used cautious words to criticize the situation in German rowing. “I don’t want to presume to criticize any structures because I’m not in it deep enough,” said Föster. “But I think it’s obvious that something is going wrong.”

The day before, the Germany eight had already received a lesson in the victory of Great Britain. “The Brits showed how to drive a figure eight. Unfortunately, we did it differently and then you get overwhelmed,” said batsman Torben Johannesen. “We didn’t have the guts. Sometimes, to put it simply, you have to deviate,” said the Hamburger, who was appointed batsman shortly after Mattes Schönherr’s absence. National coach Uwe Bender has high hopes for the training camp, where the crew will be working from Monday, in what will be a “year of learning and learning”.

This also applies to the other athletes. The cut also means one thing, said national coach Brigitte Bielig: “Training, training, training.” She had already defended herself against Zeidler’s criticism. “He’s right in parts, but I think the accusation of unprofessionalism in particular is far too harsh. With his type of criticism, he doesn’t make life easier for us as an association,” she said.