2012 Keller Medal finalists announced

Constanta Burcica (Romania)

Burcica was at the top of rowing for nearly two decades, from 1990 to 2008 and in that time she managed to swap successfully between rowing lightweight and open-weight. Burcica’s medals came in a variety of boats including the women’s quadruple sculls, the lightweight women’s double sculls and the women’s eight. She holds five Olympic medals: three gold, one silver and one bronze.

Vaclav Chalupa (Czech Republic)

Chalupa made competitive rowing his life. A veteran of five Olympic Games, Chalupa spent the majority of his career racing in the men’s single sculls. Chalupa regularly picked up silver medals which drove him to continually strive for the elusive gold. He strove for over two decades and in that time became known for his modesty, selflessness and enthusiasm for the sport.  

Caroline & Georgina Evers-Swindell (New Zealand)

Note: Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell are treated as one entry.
The identical twins wowed the rowing world by dominating the women’s double sculls and picking up consecutive Olympic gold medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games as well as having won three World Championship gold medals. Their success encouraged many New Zealand high school students, especially females, to take up rowing and they received World Rowing Female Crew of the Year Award twice for their achievements.

Manuela Lutze (Germany)

Quiet, calm and focused, Manuela Lutze is a four-time Olympian, two-time Olympic Champion and five-time World Champion. She is described by her coach as being able to blend into any boat and balance a successful career at the same time as being a top rower.

Vasileios Polymeros (Greece)

Polymeros became a national hero when he (and his lightweight double sculls partner) won the first ever rowing medal for Greece at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004. Polymeros, medalled again with a new rowing partner at the Beijing Olympics to become Greece’s most successful rower ever.

Bryan Volpenhein (United States)

A three-time Olympian and two-time Olympic medallist, Bryan Volpenhein was regularly in stroke seat of the men’s eight due to his strong leadership qualities. He is second overall amongst US male rowers in terms of Olympic and World Championship medal count.
These seven outstanding rowers were narrowed down from the original nomination list of 12 which came from the public.

The finalists were decided based on the list of nominations following a voting process open to FISA’s Council and Commission members.

The winner of the Thomas Keller Medal receives an 18-carat gold medal.
This year’s Thomas Keller Medal will be presented on 26 May 2012 at the 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland. It will be presented by Dominik Keller, the son of FISA’s former president Thomas Keller, and Denis Oswald, president of FISA.
Former winners include James Tomkins (Australia), Kathrin Boron (Germany), Elisabeta Lipa (Romania), Steve Redgrave (Great Britain), Marnie McBean (Canada) and last year Jueri Jaanson of Estonia. To view the full list of winners to date, please click here.