March 2020 : Oliver Zeidler (GER)

Athlete of the Month – March 2020

Multi talented German rower Oliver Zeidler, 23, got his first taste of top level sport through swimming. It’s now hard to believe he was wary of rowing when he first tried it because he couldn’t stay in the boat. Those days are a long way away for Zeidler who is the current men’s single sculls world champion.

World Rowing: How is your preparation for Tokyo going?

Oliver Zeidler: The preparation is going well. I’m in good shape already and my stroke rates in training are rising again.  Closer to the upcoming regattas I need to become more stable but it should work out with a few week to go.

WR: Will you do anything differently this year?
OZ: Yes, during winter we changed a lot of things which made me row more effectively. I also went to Australia for training camp to row on salt water and in a hot climate.

WR: When did you first row?
OZ: It was around 2009 but it didn’t grab me, so I continued with competitive swimming. In September 2016 I asked my dad if he could teach me how to row and that was also the month I was not capsizing after two stroke-like blade movements.

WR: Why did you make the switch from swimming to rowing?
OZ: I did not qualify for the 2016 Olympics in swimming and many friends from my training group retired that summer, so it was not that much fun anymore.

WR: What aspects of swimming helped with your rowing – both physically and mentally?
OZ: Well, athletes from both sports are used to long and hard training, so the endurance and power is comparable. Mentally, you have the ability to push yourself to the absolute limit in most of the Olympic sports including swimming and rowing.  So, thinking like an athlete helped me with hard fights in rowing too.

WR: How will you feel if the Olympic Games are scaled back or don’t go ahead this year?
OZ: I’m sure a cancellation will not happen, as that was only the case during world wars and, thankfully, we are not in such a situation currently. A postponement would be bad for the training schedules that we all stick to, which are designed so that we perform at our best at the end of July this year. I’m preparing for the Games beginning July 24 2020 and if there is no possibility that the IOC can make this happen, they should reschedule it for July/August 2021. In both cases I would be happy with the decision.

WR: What is your favourite type of training?
OZ: Intense intervals in the boat. I especially like 2000m pieces as this is what our sport is all about.

WR: How do you prepare on race day?
OZ: Waking up not too early, having a good fat free breakfast, doing some stretching, heading to the course, eating one or two bananas before warm up, warm up by running/cycling/erging, checking the boat, going on the water about 30 minutes before the race.

WR: What do you do when you are not rowing?
OZ: Besides rowing I do a lot of cross training and go to work as a tax adviser.  And besides the work parts of my life I love to meet friends, travel or just relax at home in my spare time.

WR: What do you do to have fun or relax?
OZ: Being with friends and family helps a lot with recovery and is also fun – the perfect solution to cover both aspects.

WR:Which athlete do you most admire?
OZ:Olaf Tufte.