Hacker back in single at German test

Testing started with a 2,000m erg test for the top 100 senior athletes. This was followed the next day by 6,000m racing in Leipzig, in the eastern part of Germany. Marcel Hacker was back in the single finishing in a time of 21:48. Hacker, 32, spent last season in the German quad after nearly a decade as Germany’s top single and is likely to be in the quad again this season. A close bunch came in just after Hacker, with Hans Gruhne and Stephan Krueger finishing together in a time of 21.51. Rene Burmeister and Eric Knittel were also in the bunch.

Amongst the women single scullers Annekatrin Thiele, racing in her home town, finished easily in first in a time of 24:00. Stephanie Schiller and Britta Oppelt crossed the line together 18 seconds behind Thiele. Both Thiele and Schiller raced in their country’s quad last year while Oppelt is back after taking a post-2008 Olympic break.

The sweep rowers raced in pairs with Kerstin Hartmann and Marlene Sinnig, once again, showing their class. Hartmann and Sinning were last year’s top pair for Germany and they finished fourth at the 2009 World Rowing Championships. They finished 26 seconds ahead of second-placed Nina Wengert and Ulrike Sennewald.

The men’s pair was won by Sebastian Schmidt and Toni Seifert in a time of 20:54, just two seconds ahead of under-23 rowers, Maximilian Reinelt and Lukas Mueller who tied with Jochen Urban and Urs Kaufer.

In the lightweight men’s pair brothers Matthias Schoemann-Finck and Jost Schoemann-Finck took line honours in a time of 20:59. This was two seconds ahead of Bastian Seibt and Lars Wichert who came in recording the same time as twin brothers Martin and Jochen Kuehner. The Kuehner and Schoemann-Finck brothers made up last year’s World Champion lightweight men’s four.

A surprise in the lightweight women’s single came in the form of Sina Burmeister. The 21-year-old beat long-time top performer, Marie-Louise Draeger. Burmeister’s time of 24:28 was nine seconds faster than Draeger in second. (Draeger raced last year in the lightweight double, finishing fourth.) Daniela Reimer was third.

The lightweight men’s single was won by 2009 under-23 champion from the lightweight double, Lars Hartig. Hartig, 19, finished in a time of 22:09, easily ahead of under-23 medallist, Linus Lichtschlag with Jonathan Koch in third.