German small boat championships prelude to European junior champs

The German Small Boat Championships (Deutsche Kleinboot Meisterschaft, DKBM) saw the new starting bridge in action and after the successful delivery of the German Sprint Championships in October last year, it was the second and final test for organisers Regatta Verein Niederrhein (Regatta Club Lower Rhine – RVN) and local Crefelder Ruder-Club 1883 (Crefelder Rowing Club).  Krefeld will be hosting Europe’s best under-19 rowers from 20-21 May 2017.

These championships were the first 2000m and second major national test regatta of the 2017 German rowing season. Earlier this month a 6km time trial was held in Leipzig. Both regattas are major milestones for any German rower aiming for national team selection.

In Krefeld over 470 athletes, including junior rowers, competed for the German champion titles as well as for a top spot on the national open and junior rankings. Racing was in the open men’s and women’s single sculls and pairs.

Local Krefeld hero and Rio 2016 Olympic champion Lisa Schmidla won her first German champion title in the women’s single sculls (7:35.59).  Rio 2016 quadruple sculls teammate Annekatrin Thiele followed in second (7:36.80) and former sweep rower and London 2012 Olympian in the women’s eight Daniela Schultze finished third (7:37.19).

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In the men’s single sculls, Germany’s up-and-coming talent made the most of the absence of the Rio 2016 Olympic Champions from the men’s quadruple sculls. The 2016 U23 World Rowing Champion Tim Ole Naske took home his first national championship title (6:55.91).  The 20-year old already demonstrated his strong form a couple of weeks ago, when he won the time trial in Leipzig. Second went to 2015 World Rowing junior silver medallist in the single sculls Henrik Runge who finised less than two seconds down on Naske. Former under-23 representative sculler Timo Piontek won bronze (6:58.48).

The men’s pair gave an indication on who would make up the German men’s eight for 2017. Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallists in the men’s eight Richard Schmidt and Malte Jakschik won the men’s pair in 6:27.41. They were just half a second ahead of Rio spare rowers Johannes Weissenfeld and Torben Johannesen. Rio 2016 Olympian in the four Anton Braun and Rio Olympic silver medallist Felix Drahotta followed in third (6:31.39).  Hannes Ocik, stroke of the Rio 2016 Olympic silver medal winning eight, finished sixth together with new partner Jakob Schneider, a bronze medallist from the men’s eight at the 2016 World Rowing Under 23 Championships.

“In general we are happy with the performance of our athletes. The coaches will get together early this week and we’ll decide the crews,” says Uwe Bender, 2017 coach of the men’s eight in the absence of Ralf Holtmeyer. Holtmeyer is taking a break and will be supporting the under-23 team, before returning into his role with the eight.

The women’s pair featured representatives from under-23 and junior national teams with Sina Kuehne and Katja Ruebling securing the German champion title. Isabelle Huebener and Alyssa Meyer finished second, while Julia Barz and Sophie Oksche followed in third.

All results here.
Results from the 2017 Leipzig time trial (6km) here.