Canoeing specialist Sebastian Brendel paddled his way back to the top of the world with third place at the World Championships in Duisburg. Two years after his semifinals at the Olympics in Tokyo, he reported back impressively on his parade course over 1000 meters on Saturday and won his 60th international medal thanks to a furious final sprint. “It feels like gold, I’m so happy to be on the podium. I’m particularly pleased that I can repay the trust in the association with the quota place,” said the three-time Olympic champion.
Brendel, 35, was nominated for the Olympic distance by the German Canoe Association (DKV) at short notice after a mediocre season. The previous months had not gone as he had intended: no European games, so no European Championship medals either, and the team was temporarily downgraded. In the meantime, Conrad Scheibner, who was eight years his junior, had outstripped him in the singles and won gold at the World Championships. “I was already doubting whether I could still do it because I hadn’t driven a single for so long,” said Brendel on Saturday in Duisburg.
At the finish Brendel was two hundredths of a second ahead of Poland’s Wiktor Glazunow. His long-time rival Martin Fuksa from the Czech Republic secured victory ahead of Catalin Chirila from Romania. Brendel has thus also secured another quota place for the DKV for the Summer Olympics in Paris next year. On Sunday he will compete in the one-canoe over the 5000 meter endurance course.
Furious final sprint of the gold four
Jacob Thordsen also secured bronze on the second final day in the kayak singles over the 1000 meters behind the Portuguese Fernando Pimenta and the Hungarian Adam Varga. Pauline Jagsch was seventh over 500 meters in the kayak one. The Canadian duo Lisa Jahn and Hedi Kliemke came in fourth over 500 meters.
Already on Friday, the Germany foursome of the canoeists with Max Rendschmidt, Max Lemke, Jacob Schopf and Tom Liebscher-Lucz had won the world title. Driven by the audience, the parade boat of the German Canoe Association paddled to gold in front of Hungary and the Ukraine. “In front of such a backdrop and with the three guys on board,” said Rendschmidt, “it’s just fun to rock down the track.”
The 2021 Olympic champion boat started the season with difficulties and fifth place at the European Games in Kraków. Shortly before the World Championships, there was a change in the line-up, the fast-strong Lemke moved up to second place, Liebscher-Lucz to fourth place. The tactical measure paid off during the final sprint on Friday.
The newly formed women’s kayak foursome with Lena Röhlings, Katinka Hofmann, Sarah Brüssler and Enja Rößeling finished eighth, but secured a quota place for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Jakob Thordsen also won bronze in the K1 over the Olympic 1000 m, junior runner-up world champion Pauline Jagsch in the kayak over 500 m with seventh place missed the quota place for Paris by only one place. The women’s C2 duo Lisa Jahn and Hedi Kliemke (18) did not paddle over 500 m with fourth place on the podium, but at least bought the Olympic ticket by participating in the final. There were other German World Cup medals over the non-Olympic distances. Anton Winkelmann and Leonard Busch won bronze over 1000 m in the kayak double, the counterpart in the canoe with Moritz Adam and Nico Pickert even won the silver medal a few minutes later. For the canoe four it was only enough for sixth place, Ophelia Preller took fifth place in the canoe one. Already on Friday, the kayak foursome around the Tokyo Olympic champions Max Rendschmidt, Max Lemke and Tom Liebscher-Lucz, together with Jacob Schopf, won gold over the Olympic 500 m and thus provided the first highlight. There were also three other medals over non-Olympic distances. The World Cup, which runs until Sunday, is a guest in Duisburg for the sixth time. Last year, the German team won 14 medals in Canada (2 gold, 7 silver, 5 bronze).
