Olympic sailing: Final spurt: Who still has to tremble

Some are already celebrating the milestone of qualifying for the Olympics and have entered the home straight with unabatedly intensive training and regatta schedules. But some sailors still have to tremble and struggle. Because the nomination criteria are the same, but the elimination regattas are different for the various Olympic sailing disciplines, we provide an overview of the status quo here.

Laser vice world champion Philipp Buhl (Sonthofen/Segelclub Alpsee Immenstadt), the two German skiff teams Victoria Jurczok/Anika Lorenz (Berlin, Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee) and Erik Heil/Thomas Plößel (Berlin, Norddeutscher Regatta Verein) as well as the 470 European champions Ferdinand Gerz/Oliver Szymanski (Munich/Berlin, Segler Verein Wörthsee/Joersfelder Segel-Club). The latter can hardly lose their secure place in the top ten nations (4th) after three elimination regattas. RS:X surfer Toni Wilhelm is also looking forward to his third Olympic start. The Lörrach-born 2012 Olympic silver medallist secured his Rio ticket at the World Championships in Israel. As the "longest-serving" member of the Olympic squad, the 33-year-old sports scientist wants to give it another go in the battle for medals under the sugar loaf.

The above-mentioned teams are likely to be proposed to the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) by the German Sailing Association (DSV) in accordance with the specified qualification conditions and officially nominated by the DOSB in the first nomination round on 31 May.

However, other teams with Olympic ambitions still have to tremble despite having secured a place in the national starting line-up and good performances. They still have to fulfil the additional DOSB criterion required for an Olympic start. To do so, they must be ranked among the top ten nations in their discipline after their three predetermined elimination regattas. And - in the case of the new Olympic mixed catamaran class Nacra 17 - they must also prevail against the national competition.

For the 470 sailors Annika Bochmann and Marlene Steinherr from the Seglerhaus am Wannsee club, the aim is to defend their 8th place in the top ten nations at the European Championships off Palma de Mallorca next weekend. Not only the ninth and tenth-placed countries, but also the Swiss in eleventh place, 13 points behind the Germans, are breathing down their necks. The task will not be easy for Bochmann/Steinherr, but it is doable.

The "German Wonder Kids" Paul Kohlhoff and Carolina Werner are also challenged after remarkable performances last year (fifth at the World Championships, fourth at the Olympic test regatta before Rio) and some recent setbacks in the final Olympic sprint: On the one hand, the young Kiel team must defend their lead over Flensburg's Jan Hauke Erichsen and Lea Spitzmann, who have recently come on stronger. After two of three elimination regattas, the score before the elimination final is 13:5 in favour of Kohlhoff/Werner, who will take an eight-point lead into the showdown at the end of April at the Semaine Olympique in France.

At the same time, Kohlhoff/Werner must maintain their furiously fought but very close tenth place in the top ten nations at the end of the national elimination in the new Olympic catamaran mixed discipline. Eleventh here, for example, are the strong Argentinians with helmsman Santiago Lange. Rivals Jan Hauke Erichsen and Lea Spitzmann also still have a minimal chance of making it to the Olympics. However, the Flensburg team would also have to fulfil the above-mentioned conditions, beat Kohlhoff/Werner on points and also finish the Semaine Olympique in the top twelve teams. It will therefore remain exciting until 1 May (final day before Hyères) on course for Rio.

The Semaine Olympique also marks the end of elimination for the Paralympic sailors. 2.4mR helmsman Heiko Kröger can hardly be stopped by team-mate Lasse Klötzing on his storm towards Rio, the performances of Germany's 2015 Sailor of the Year have been too compelling so far. Kröger is clearly leading the elimination and will in all likelihood be fighting for another medal at the last Paralympic regatta for the time being in September off Rio de Janeiro. Jens Kroker's Sonar team is also sailing on course for the Paralympics.