Kiel Week: "Until your thighs were on fire"

Tobias Schadewaldt is the multi-talented German Olympic sailor. Having grown up in the Laser, the Oldenburg native later switched to the 49er, but switched back to the Laser after unfortunately missing out on a medal race and finishing eleventh with co-skipper Hannes Baumann at the 2012 Olympic Games. In his old favourite discipline, Schadewaldt now has to compete at national level with Philipp Buhl, who has outperformed him so far. Together, however, the two make a strong training team that is getting better and better one year before the Olympic Games. While Philipp Buhl is already on his way to the Laser World Championships in Kingston, Canada, after his World Cup victory in the Olympic area of Weymouth, in order to be able to prepare for the title there in time, Tobias Schadewaldt has used the Kiel Week as a motivational boost. He sailed confidently to his third title in total with a brilliant victory in the final medal race on Wednesday, having already been the best on the fjord twice in the 49er with Hannes Baumann in 2011 and 2012.

You could see and hear how good Schadewaldt felt after crossing the finish line. The usually quiet athlete cheered his triumph with a raised fist and said: "That was amazing." During the live broadcast, the course of the race initially left hundreds of spectators in the Audi Sailing Arena in front of the big screen breathless, as Tobi Schadewaldt had made a clean start but got stuck between sixth and ninth position for a long time on the cross. At times, the Kieler Woche victory even seemed to slip out of his hands, as Schadewaldt's Danish rival Michael Hansen was able to work his way dangerously far forward, but then fell back again.

Schadewaldt explained the unusual course of the race after crossing the finish line: "Initially, I deliberately moved close to Michael Hansen because he could still have challenged me for the win. But then I realised that he wasn't getting into the right rhythm. And neither did I. We were both sailing against the spins. So I decided to trust my instincts and sail my own race. On the last cross, I put the pedal to the metal until my thighs were burning like hell." The furious race to catch up was rewarded with victory in the final and overall victory at Kieler Woche. And with it Schadewaldt's intensive preparation for this season: "I've just completed two weeks of suspension training and feel fitter than I have for years. It was a great week for me, and with this feeling I'm now travelling to the World Championships very motivated, where we want to give our opponents a real run for their money."

Philipp Buhl is also part of the "we". The sports soldier from Sonthofen had skipped Kiel Week and was already on his way to the Canadian World Championship venue of Kingston on the final day of the Olympic part of Kiel Week in order to prepare intensively for his bid for the title. During a visit to Kiel Week, Buhl said: "I believe I can become world champion." Two World Cup victories this season had catapulted Buhl into the circle of favourites in the battle for the Laser World Championship title. Buhl was delighted with the victory of his training mate Tobias Schadewaldt and told YACHT online: "That's cool! I'm happy for Tobi. He'll be in good form at the World Championships!"