For most people, the new work week starts on Monday. For Germany's best 470 sailors, the battle to be or not to be Olympic begins this summer off Vilamourin Portugal. After series cancellations of regattas in the corona pandemic, the DSV players only have the World Cup to secure the missing Olympic starting place for the 470 men and the individual Olympic ticket for men and women. At the 470 summit with 29 male duos from 19 nations and 27 female crews from 18 countries, there is rarely as much at stake in terms of sport as ever.
In order to be allowed to start at the Olympic Games, the German 470 men must first secure the last remaining nation starting place for a European 470 crew at the World Championship from March 8th to 13th. But they are far from the only ones who want him. The Austrians, the Swiss, the hosts, Hungarians and other nations also want to use this last chance to be part of the 470 men's field at Olympi2020 in 2021.
Simon Diesch and Philipp Autenrieth are fighting for their Olympic dream
"There are still six nations, each with one to three crews fighting for this last European starting place. It will be perhaps the toughest competition in our campaign," says Simon Diesch (Württembergischer Yacht Club), who has been with crew member Philipp Autenrieth (Bavarian Yacht Club) forms one of the two top German teams. The helmsman's name stands for goodness and gold, because his uncle and father Jörg and Eckart Diesch sailed to Olympic victory in the Flying Dutchman in 1976. 45 years later, the junior is now fighting for his Olympic chance. Just like teammates Malte Winkel and Matti Cipr (Schweriner Yacht Club / Plauer Watersport Club).
Simon Diesch and Philipp Autenrieth have been sailing together in the 470 since 2016
Malte Winkel and Matti Cipr have been in the same boat since 2014
At the same time as the common big task of securing the nation's starting place, Diesch / Autenrieth on the one hand and Winkel / Ciprauf on the other hand also have to achieve the best possible and above all better result than the other crew in order to get their personal Olympic ticket can. The two objectives do not always get along, because a "private duel" for the Enoshima ticket could possibly put the required national starting place out of sight. But Winkel says: "I don't see any 1: 1 situations. We all know how important the nation's starting position is. And I don't see any pressure either. We grew together in winter and are just looking forward to the World Cup." In fact, the two DSV crews trained a lot together under the direction of trainer Tytus Konarzewski, exchanging ideas intensively. Diesch and Winkel brought boats and equipment to Vilamour together in one car.
The Austrian Lukas Mähr (AUT 1) explains the world championship fight for the nations starting place
There, the organizers have successfully cleared all corona hurdles in the past few months and were able to give the green light for the 470 showdown in the Loulé region, with the number of infections recently falling, in which four German women's crews with Olympic goals are also starting. Although the 470 sailors had already secured their national starting place in 2019, who is allowed to occupy it will be decided in what is now the only remaining elimination regatta. The favorites are the Berliners Frederike Loewe / AnnMarkfort (Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee / Joersfelder Segel-Club). Nadine Böhm / Ann-Christin Goliaß (German Touring Yacht Club), Theres Dahnke / Birte Winkel (Plauer Watersport Club / Schweriner Yacht Club) and the newly formed duo Luise Wanser / AnastasiyWinkel (North German Regatt Club) are also fighting for the Olympic ticket.
Want to buy the Olympic ticket at the World Cup: Frederike Loewe and AnnMarkfort
Theres Dahnke and Birte Winkel want to be there at the last Olympic appearance of the 470 women discipline. From 2024, the 470 will only be sailed by mixed teams at the Olympic Games
Even before the start of the World Cup, it can be said that the corona pandemic has a strong influence on pre-Olympic events and the course of qualifications. The rejuvenation to just one elimination race will require not only excellent sailing skills, but also strong nerves and the ability to call up the best performance at the crucial time. This World Championships comes very close to the Olympic regatta in many areas. The men’s defending champions will be missing in particular: Mathew Belcher and Will Ryan, winners of the last World Cup in 2019, announced early on that they would not be able to play in Europe during the pandemic. For the three angles under the German flag, the World Cup will once again be a family affair: Malte Winkel, his wife AnastasiyWinkel and his sister Birte Winkel are fighting - each in their own team - for their Olympic dream. A maximum of two of them can realize it.
