Ebert boosts Danish lightweight four

Denmark’s lightweight men’s four is looking more and more like the rowing crew that won gold at Athens. Thomas Ebert has returned to the boat after stepping away from elite rowing two years ago.

Ebert, 34, rowed in the four at both the Sydney and Athens Olympics and it did not take him long to get back into Denmark’s famed boat.

After seeing how the crew was doing, Ebert decided to try for his country’s lightweight four. They finished sixth at this year’s World Rowing Championships, qualifying the boat for the Beijing Olympics. Ebert decided the boat had Olympic medal potential and, thus, started to get serious about his Olympic intentions.

Ebert believes the crew could be just as good, or even better than the boat that raced to gold in Athens. “This is the reason for my comeback,” says Ebert. “This boat has the opportunity to get gold or at least a medal at Beijing.”

Racing and winning is what Ebert missed the most about elite rowing. “I missed going into the start blocks, waiting for the red light and then green. I missed that intense focus and getting reading to race.”

“I didn’t miss the winter training,” he adds.

“I haven’t really been away from rowing,” says Ebert. “I just took it down a level. I have kept training at the national level and also did some running (5,000m and 10,000m track) at the national level.”

“I didn’t get straight back into the boat,” says Ebert. “I had to work out an arrangement with my job to see if I could have the freedom to train more and work less.” Ebert also had to be tested by coach Bent Fransson and his return to the four means Morten Jorgensen has lost his spot.

Danish Rowing’s press officer, Bente Saugmann commented, “Morten is disappointed, but he has not given up hope to be in the 2008 Olympics. Also, he has just been nominated for the prestigious award for young athletes: ‘Denmark's Olympic Hope’.”

The lightweight men’s four now includes Ebert, Eskild Ebbesen, Mads Kruse-Andersen and Bo Helleberg. The crew will remain unchanged until after the first Rowing World Cup in May 2008 when, says Saugmann, their performance will be evaluated.

So will Ebert then plan for London 2012? “No, no I don’t think so. I’m not getting any younger.”

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