Schmidla tackles single sculling field at under-23s

At this year’s Under 23 Championships in Linz-Ottensheim, Austria, the women’s single sculls boasts an impressive list of entries, including several senior level athletes.

After qualifying for the A-final through heats, quarterfinals and semifinals, World Rowing caught up with Lisa Schmidla from Germany. Schmidla first appeared on the world scene in 2008 when she won a bronze medal in the junior women’s eight. Then, switching from sweep rowing to sculling, she became a Junior Champion in the single sculls. But her accolades do not stop there. She won two gold medals at under 23 championships before entering the senior level. In 2012, Schmidla took a silver medal in the women’s quadruple sculls and in 2013 she became a World Cup gold medallist in the same event. Now Schmidla is back at the under-23 level and heading into the a-final on Sunday.  

“At a World Cup you have Olympians, so the level of rowers is different. But the competition is the same, at a World Cup or the under-23s, you want to win a medal,” Schmidla says. After recording the fastest qualifying time in the semifinals, this goal may just become a reality. She was four seconds ahead of the second place finisher, Carling Zeeman of Canada and 11 seconds faster than winner of semifinal two, Elza Gulbe of Latvia.

A gold medal in this event will not be an easy task considering the level of experience in the field. Nataliya Dovgodko (UKR) won two World Cups in the women’s quad in 2012 before going on to win the Olympic gold in London. Zeeman (CAN) took a bronze medal in this event at the under-23 championships last year and was in the a-final at the first World Cup in Sydney. Add to that Gulbe (LAT), who has been successful at the junior level and is performing well this year, as well as homefavourite Lisa Farthoffer, who charged from 6th place to 3rd place to qualify for the a-final and is no stranger to under-23 medals. The level of talent and experience in this field means the pressure is on.

After spending much of her career in bigger boats, it is an adjustment for Schmidla. “In a single, it’s just you and the boat. I have to learn a bit more, and have a bit more experience,” she says. After this weekend Schmidla will race the single again at the World Rowing Championships in Chungju, Korea.

“My big goal would be to go to the Olympics in Rio, and maybe I’ll get a medal.” But for this weekend, Schmidla’s focus will be on the under-23 final.

The women’s single sculls will be raced at 12:15pm (CET) on Sunday, 28 July 2013.