Remembering coach, rowing mentor and FISA commission member, Theo Koerner

Theobald Koerner, known as ‘Theo’, leaves behind an outstanding legacy in rowing and will be remembered not only for his many Olympic and World Champion medals as a coach, but also as an architect of rowing technique, training programmes and biomechanics.

Born in 1932 in Berlin, Koerner started his influential path as a rower. He was GDR champion in the lightweight men’s eight in 1953, but soon moved into coaching. The trained baker rose quickly in the East German sporting system to become Secretary General of the Rowing Section, national team coach, chairman of the coaches council, which he set-up, and member of the board of the German Rowing Sport Federation of the GDR(Deutscher Ruder Sport Verband, DRSV).

Koerner became technical director of DRSV in 1962 and was quick to bring significant changes to the East German rowing training. Interval training, introduced by Karl Adam, was the preferred training method around the world at the time. But Koerner introduced the long distance training concept based on endurance. Part of this was a long powerful rowing stroke, the “Schubschlag”, which became his signature stroke pattern. This form of training and stroke revolutionised rowing significantly and has been an essential part of high performance rowing ever since.

Koerner organised cooperation between rowing practice, science and research. He was the architect of the East German model of excellence and talent identification system and DRSV coachfrom 1962 to 1986. During his 24-year tenure, GDR crews won twelve gold, eleven silver and three bronze medals at European Championships, 44 gold, 22 silver and 14 bronze at World Championships and 17 gold, five silver and six bronze at Olympic Games. The GDR team was the most successful rowing team over 25 years since topping the medal table for the first time at the World Rowing Championships in Bled in 1966.

As a coach, Koerner not only left his mark in Germany, but also in Australia and Italy. Australia brought him out as a consultant and in Italy he was the technical director. Under his guidance Italy won a silver medal in the men’s coxed pair and a bronze in the men’s quadruple sculls at the 1992 Olympic Games.

Koerner also played a major role in the high performance developments within FISA and he was chairman of the FISA Competitive Commission from 1976 to 1986. Together with Swiss Sport Medicine Professor Hans Howaldt Koerner developed the first worldwide anti-doping programme of an international federation based on training controls. In addition he is the author of several technical manuals, which are still essential parts of any coach education around the world.

“We are losing a dedicated rowing comrade and will always keep him in honourable memory,” said Siegfried Kaidel, President of the German Rowing Federation.

The list of awards and accolades for Koerner is long, reflecting the lasting impact he has had on sport science in general and the sport of rowing specifically. He studied at the renownDHfK (Deutsche Hochschule für Körperkultur – German School for Body Culture/Sport) in Leipzig and was a lecturer for ‘Body culture’ at the Berlin Humboldt-University, where he also qualified as a professor in 1971.

During GDR times Koerner was awarded the GutsMuths-Award, the highest national award, recognising achievements in the areas of sports science and also the GDR ‘Nationalprice,’ which is awarded for “outstanding inventive works in the areas of science and technique.” His success made him a much noticed, even though often not wanted, critique of the GDR sport leadership. He always expressed his opinion courageously and forthrightly. In a unified Germany, he continued to be an expert voice at science congresses.

In his personal life, Koerner was married twice and is the father of two children from his first marriage and three from his second marriage with successful former coxswain Gudrun Koerner (née Apelt).

Koerner will be dearly missed by family, friends and colleagues around the world. He will be remembered for the scientifically exact rationale of his methods and also his open and friendly way in which he conveyed his knowledge.