A hot race under adverse weather conditions: The German university championships in rowing took place on the Bremen Werdersee lake under cloudy skies on 2nd and 3rd July 2011. Teams of student rowers from Bremen notched up several successes. They put up an impressive performance, taking home two gold medals, one bronze, and two nominations for the European university championships to be held in Moscow. The local teams comprised members of the University of Bremen, the Bremen University of Applied Sciences, and Jacobs University.
Against Saturday’s cold and strong head winds, the races over 1,000 meters turned into a grueling test of strength. Illness-related withdrawals on the part of their opponents meant that Lisa and Melanie Baues only had to compete in the finals. Following a four-year break, their motivation to return to competitive rowing is thanks to their desire to take part in the European university championships (EUC), which will be held in Moscow later this year. No warm-up “rehearsals” – they went straight for the medals and qualified for the EUC. Following a difficult start, the Bremen twins soon caught up with the other boats – gradually but surely drawing away from Heidelberg, the defending champions. The two Master’s students crossed the line in grand form and over two lengths in front, securing gold for the University of Bremen and the coveted ticket to Moscow.
Just 20 minutes later, start of the second race with a Bremen crew: In the men’s double-four, strokesman Sören Dannhauer with the brothers Knud and Joos Lange (all from the University of Bremen) as well as Kim Fürwentsches (Bremen University of Applied Sciences). In the preliminary round, the Bremen students cruised across the finishing line, to qualify for the finals and a race against the crew that were known to be their strongest opponents. There were particularly high expectations of the defending champions, the previous year’s EUC victors, and Bremen Sports Team of the Year 2010. They were among the leaders from the start, and then after the first 200 meters the race began to take its expected course. With powerful strokes, the four oarsmen coached by trainer Willy Debus took the lead and secured the second gold and further tickets for Moscow.
Sunday saw more athletes from Bremen universities occupying the victors’ dock. In the women’s eight, Inga Hennings from the Bremen University of Applied Sciences was in the same crew as University students Ann-Kathrin Weber, Meike Stolle, Beke Gredener, Lisa Baues, Melanie Baues and Anne Valtink from Jacobs University Bremen. Reinforced by Caro Hartmann and coxswain Paula Krumm from the TU Dresden, they rowed an exciting race, finishing in third place and winning a bronze.
The day was still far from over: Against a very strong field of opponents, Lisa Baues took 5th place for the University of Bremen in the lightweight women’s singles. In the University of Bremen’s eight-man boat, coxswain Melanie Baues and Dirk Werthmann, Jens Große, Bolko Maass, Sören Dannhauer, Mateusz Cienciala, Knud Lange and Joos Lange put up a good struggle to finish in the sixth place.
Our photo shows Lisa and Melanie Baues, who will now represent the University of Bremen in Moscow (Photo: Peter Lange/Wiebke Liesenhoff). You can view more photos of the German University Rowing Championships at:
https://picasaweb.google.com/104980448107278301424/DeutscheHochschulmeisterschaftRudernWerderseeBremen23Juli2011
