The "engine" of the German yacht that will be competing in next year's 32nd America's Cup has gained even more power: Former German world-class shot putter Oliver-Sven Buder is another powerhouse at the grinder cranks of United Internet Team Germany.
Four months before the start of the decisive regattas off Valencia, the sailing crew for the first German America's Cup campaign is now 27 strong.
"I really enjoy training with the team - whether on the water or on land - and I hope I can give a lot to the team," says the 41-year-old Buder. Three years after ending his career in athletics, he is looking forward to his new sporting challenge in the premier class of sailing.
As a shot putter, he took part in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games, was runner-up in the 1997 and 1999 World Championships, runner-up in the 1998 European Championships and European Junior Champion in 1985. He competed for the clubs SC Karl-Marx-Stadt/Chemnitz, TV Wattenscheid and MTV Ingolstadt.
Oliver-Sven Buder was born on 23 June 1966 in Steinheidel-Erlabrunn in Saxony. After the end of his career as a shot putter, he settled in Cuxhaven and has a partner and two children aged 11 and 13. Buder is a qualified industrial clerk and sports manager and works as a freelance event manager.
The contact with United Internet Team Germany came about during Buder's visit to the German Sailing Grand Prix in Kiel. Just two months later, skipper Jesper Bank and his team and Buder were so convinced of each other that he became a team member.
Bank sees Buder as a real boost for his team: "With his strength, he naturally improves our performance on the grinder cranks. And with his immense experience in strength training, he can also give each of us valuable tips."
The grinders on board an America's Cup yacht use their muscle power on the cranks called "coffee grinders" to set, hoist and trim the sails. Oliver-Sven Buder will now throw his 135 kilograms of strength, distributed over a height of 1.99 metres, into the balance so that this "engine" on board the Germany I runs even faster.
