For the first time, a German female sailor has won a youth world championship in the Olympic Laser Radial class, which has been held since 2008. Hannah Anderssohn from the Warnemünder Segel-Club, who trains at the Olympic base in Kiel, prevailed in a thrilling gold duel against Dolores MoreirFraschini from Uruguay and won the world title fights in front of Medemblik after a total of eleven races with a two-point advantage. Anderssohn's rival had previously won the last race, but the young athlete from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania showed strong nerves, crossed the final line in fourth and secured the title.
Lucky for gold: Hannah Anderssohn won the Junior World Championships in the Laser Radial
Hannah Anderssohn in the World Cup area in front of Medemblik
Anderssohn's teammates LaurSchewe (Altenholz) and JuliBüsselberg (Berlin) were a little less fortunate in the final sprint. Both had come very close to the medals over the course of the series, but fell behind on the day of the final. LaurSchewe, who started for the Kiel Yacht Club, was fifth overall, the helmswoman from the Seglerhaus am Wannsee club finished the World Cup in seventh place. With their very good performances, the strong German trio around trainer FranziskGoltz won the Nations Cup at this Youth World Cup with confidence! No other country could assert itself in the field of 106 starters from all over the world with three tax women in the top ten.
The German top trio with world champion Hannah Anderssohn sailed into first place in the nations' ranking at the Youth World Cup
The worthy reception of the German team for their world champion Hannah Anderssohn
Déjà-vu: this time with a happy ending
Hannah Anderssohn celebrated her triumph overjoyed. With a waving German flag in the mast and a beaming smile, the 17-year-old sailed into port after the success. Anderssohn is one of the most promising talents in German Olympic sailing. At the Youth World Cup a year ago before Auckland in New Zealand, she had already been in the lead before the final, but then fell back to fifth place in the botched final spurt with 19th place and had to travel home disappointed without a medal. This time she held onto her gold.
"I already had that experience in the back of my mind. The situation this morning before the final was very similar to 2016. I started the last day with a yellow shirt. And it was the same opponent. But I got out of the situation back then I learned a lot and at the beginning of the year I had a lot of time to think on land thanks to my three months injury break after knee problems. Some things became very clear to me. Also how things should go psychologically. The physically strong helmswoman, who attended the sports boarding school in Kiel, was born in Neustrelitz and is often with her mother on weekends in Rostock, could already be a candidate for the next Olympic Games in 2020 despite her young age. She definitely wants to work and fight for it.
Anderssohn was happy about the overall good result of the German youth sailors at the World Championships off Medemblik: "We could just send a little warning to the other nations!"
Hannah Anderssohn started the final day with the yellow shirt of the front runner - this time it brought her luck and gold
A picture of Hannah Anderssohn from the 2016 Youth World Cup in Auckland, New Zealand. At that time she slipped back from first place to fifth place with 19th place and had to return home without a medal. This time she held onto her gold
The final classification of the Laser Radial Youth World Championships 2017 - the German flag can be seen three times in the top ten