Olympic showdown ends for rowers with bronze
Success on the Water: Germany's women's double scull wins bronze at the Olympic Games. After setbacks and struggles, the team is fit just in time. For the German Olympic team, it's the third podium finish after two golds.
The German women's double scull has won the bronze medal at the Olympic Games. The crew, led by strokewoman Pia Greiten, delivered a strong final sprint in the watersports stadium of Vaires-sur-Marne, securing the first medal of the Summer Games for the German Rowing Association (DRV) behind Britain and the Netherlands. For the German Olympic team, this is the third podium finish in Paris after two golds.
Greiten, Leonie Menzel, Tabea Schendekehl, and Maren Voelz built on the earlier successes of the women's double scull. Before Paris, there were six golds, the last in Rio 2016, and one silver and bronze each. The DDR's four won in 1988. Since the boat class was introduced 36 years ago, it has only missed out on a medal once, in Tokyo.
Despite a challenging season with illness-related absences and setbacks, the women's team showed up in top form for the Olympic final. A strong finish helped them fend off other competitors and secure third place.
Men miss surprise
Earlier, the men's double scull missed a surprise in the final. Strokeman Moritz Wolff, Tim Ole Naske, Max Appel, and Anton Finger finished fifth with a clear deficit, but they were not among the medal favorites in Paris. The long-standing successful boat had won gold in Rio and London with different lineups.
The German Rowing Association (DRV) is competing in seven of the 14 Olympic boat classes in Paris and is hoping for two medals. The men's pair with Julius Christ and Soenke Kruse failed to reach the semi-finals on Wednesday, and the men's double scull missed the final the day before. The men's eight, along with top favorites Oliver Zeidler and Alexandra Foster, will compete for a place in the final on Thursday. The DRV finished the Tokyo Games with two silver medals.
The German Olympic team looks forward to competing for more medals in the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris, aiming to build upon their current successes. With the women's double scull securing a bronze and aiming for even higher finishes in the future, the men's eight and Alexandra Foster are set to compete in the final, aiming to bring home additional medals.
