Due to the storms over northern Germany, the star sailors have only been able to complete one race so far. The Olympic team Alexander Hagen/Jochen Wolfram only managed 10th place. Nevertheless, they are confident about the future.
For the Olympic star sailors, it feels like Christmas after their nomination for Athens 2004. "We are really looking forward to Athens. It's a bit like Christmas, except that we'll be responsible for the presents ourselves during the Games," said a visibly relaxed Alexander Hagen, who used Kiel Week as a training and equipment test. None other than the American star boat ace Mark Reynolds had travelled to Kiel a few days before Kiel Week to train Hagen and Wolfram.
"Mark showed us a lot about the correct trim of the sails and practised starts with us," said Alexander Hagen, summarising the training session, but did not dare to make any predictions about his prospects in Athens: "The chance of winning a medal is 3 in 17. There are only the 17 best Star boats in the world at the start, and all of them, including us, are good for a place on the podium. I just need to have a good week, and that happens to me from time to time."
Roland Gäbler has a similar assessment of the chances of success for his fourth Olympic campaign in the Tornado. Less than a year ago, the bronze medallist from 2000 brought Gunnar Struckmann into the boat, and they both managed to qualify for the Olympics straight away. "In contrast to Sydney, the Tornado is a completely different boat now. I'm now on the trapeze and we have the gennaker downwind. It was almost like a new start. In Sydney, every nation had what it took to win a medal. We want to do our best before Athens and sail well. Which place doesn't matter," says Roland Gäbler.
Gäbler also announced that he would continue sailing with his co-sailor Gunnar Struckmann until 2008. "The new Tornado with double trapeze really benefits me," said the 39-year-old exceptional sailor. He can still handle this boat well, even at his age.
In the Finn, Michael Fellmann is back to his old form after a break due to illness: "I'm really looking forward to the Olympics. It's an incredibly good atmosphere when athletes from all over the world compete for medals so peacefully side by side."
For Petra Niemann, Athens is the second Olympic campaign after Sydney in Europe, and she wants to take a relaxed approach. "Everything was new to me in 2000 and I've looked at everything. I'm really looking forward to sailing in Athens and I'm lucky enough to be able to take my time to look at everything in the week after the regattas."
With gusts of up to 45 knots, Kieler Woche boss Dieter Rümmeli only released the regatta course directly in front of Schilksee, where surfers and lasers could sail two races each in turn. "Due to the weather conditions, which are expected to improve on Friday afternoon, we will probably sail until late Friday evening," commented Dieter Rümmeli on the postponed schedule.
So there was a bit of sailing and surfing: Olympic starter Toni Wilhelm from Kiel came out on top among the German surfers. With two first places, he pushed Maksim Oberemko (UKR), who Wilhelm will meet again at the Olympic Games, into second place.
Amelie Lux is sailing freely in the women's surfing category after the nomination hiccup ended and is in third place with 4th, 5th and 5th places. This underlines the fact that she has what it takes to be right at the front even in stronger winds.
In the Paralympic 2.4mR class, Thierry Schmitter (Netherlands) leads ahead of Sydney gold medallist Heiko Kröger. In the Lasers, Robert Scheidt (BRA/seven-time world champion) is still looking for his form and is in 13th place after three races, with Croatia's Arapov Mate in the lead ahead of Paul Goodison (GBR), who will also be competing in Athens.
470-Men (1 race)
1st Gabrio Sandona/Andrea Trani, ITA
2. Nathan Wilmot/Malcolm Page, AUS
3. Gideon Kliger/Ehud Gal, ISR
470-Women (1 race)
1st Jenny Arrmstrong/Belinda Stowell, AUS
2. Ingrid Petitjean/Nadege Douroux, FRA
3rd Katie McDowell/Isabelle Kinsolving, USA
49er (2 races)
1. Christopher Draper/Simon Hiscocks, GBR, 3 points
2. Rodion Luka/Georgiy Leonchuk, UKR, 4
3. Andre Fonseca/Rodrigo Duarte, BRA, 6
Europe-Women (1 race)
1. Wiebke Schroeder, GER
2. Jennifer Spalding, CAN
3. Carolijn Brouwer, NED
Finn (1 race)
1st Rafael Trujillo, ESP
2. Gasper Vincec, SLO
3. Michael Maier, CZE
Laser (3 races)
1st Mate Arapov, CRO, 4 points
2. Paul Goodison, GBR, 6
3. Marc De Haas, NED, 7
Mistral men (3 races)
1st Toni Wilhelm, GER, 5 points
2. Maksim Oberemko, UKR, 6
3rd I Gusti Made Oka Sulaksana, INA, 6
Mistral Women (3 races)
1st Allison Shreeve, AUS, 3 points
2. Olga Maslivets, UKR, 9
3. Amelie Lux, GER, 14
Star (1 race)
1st Fredrik Lööf/Anders Ekstrom, SWE
2 Peter Bromby/Lee White, BER
3. Mark Neeleman/Peter van Niekerk, NED
