It's not just about the title and the medals. The German 49er men still have to secure their starting place for the 2016 Olympic regatta in Rio de Janeiro. And they are also fighting for an individual ticket to Brazil. For the 49erFX sailors, it's all about their personal ticket to the Olympic Games. The video explains how the next places for the Games will be allocated at the World Championships off Buenos Aires.
Rarely have world championships in an Olympic discipline been so important: for Germany's 49er sailors, who have been so successful recently, it's not just about titles and medals, but also about securing a place on the national starting list for the 2016 Olympic Games, as well as an individual Olympic ticket for one of the two top crews.
For the men (and only for the men, not for the 49erFX sailors, whose second elimination regatta will not take place until the 2016 World Championship off Clearwater!), the World Championship off Buenos Aires marks the second of three elimination regattas in the battle for an Olympic ticket between two friendly crews: Justus Schmidt and Max Boehme from Kieler Yacht-Club are leading the German-German duel with 25 points after their victory at the 2015 European Championship. The 2014 European champions Erik Heil and Thomas Plößel from the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, who were originally favourites with a view to the Olympics, are the hunters with 13 points. As European Championship and World Championship medals are rewarded with extra points in this internal elimination, the two German teams are highly motivated going into the regatta. Schmidt/Boehme want to defend or extend their lead with an outstanding performance. Heil/Plößel need to put in a top performance and, if possible, achieve a podium finish to keep the duel open ahead of the third and final elimination regatta of 2016.
At the same time, after eleven national starting places in the Olympic 49er have already been allocated, only three more are up for grabs at this World Championship. The German 49er sailors want and need to secure one of these if they want to sail for medals before Rio in 2016 and not rely on a last-minute nail-biter. So there is a lot of "pressure in the air" for the 49er sailors of Audi Sailing Team Germany. Erik Heil said: "We are looking forward to the races. Let's go 49er Worlds!"
The 49erFX sailors, on the other hand, can concentrate on one task: For them, it's neither about the national starting place, which Berliners Victoria Jurczok and Anika Lorenz have already secured for Germany, nor about their personal Rio ticket. The five strong 49erFX crews are sailing for the best possible World Championship result off Buenos Aires and want to get involved in the battle for medals and titles. The first results of the men's and women's races late this evening will show what the German teams are capable of at these title fights in South America.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
