In the last two years, no one has been described as the greatest hope of the German Olympic sailors as often as Philipp Buhl. The 2015 World Championship runner-up is therefore pleased that other team-mates are now also competing in Rio with serious medal chances and that the pressure to win a medal is not solely on his shoulders. The Sonthofen native has often proven that he can withstand pressure and improve, especially under the most difficult conditions.
Leading wolf, top athlete and fair player: Philipp Buhl has already moved into the Olympic Village in Rio den Janeiro and, like Toni Wilhelm, will start his first Olympic Games on 8 August
Buhl wants to fight for precious metal in the largest Olympic fleet of 46 laser sailors from just as many countries. He himself has nine sailors on his list who could win a medal - first and foremost Brazil's super sailor Robert Scheidt, his idol from school days, but also men like the reigning world champion Nick Thompson or the Australian Tom Burton. Buhl also counts himself among the medal contenders: "If everything comes together perfectly, then a medal is possible." The 26-year-old has already been Germany's Sailor of the Year twice. After narrowly missing out on qualifying for the Olympics four years ago, the strong athlete and talented self-taught sailor has once again improved significantly and - unrivalled in Germany - earned his starting place for the Olympic Games in Brazil.
This year alone, Philipp Buhl has spent a total of 680 hours sailing, 480 hours training on the water, 100 hours of boat building, 100 hours in the gym, 350 hours of fitness training and 200 hours of theory preparing for his Olympic premiere. Details of the meticulous work can be found in the YACHT Extra "Olympic Games 2016", which was enclosed with YACHT 15.
DSV head coach David Howlett says of the Bavarian summiteer, who also loves skiing and mountaineering: "Philipp is a cheerful and stable character, an even-tempered guy. He is probably the strongest and best athlete in the team. He has one important point in his favour for the Olympic regatta: Philipp has already proven that he has what it takes by winning several medals at major title competitions. He has worked a lot in the Olympic area, knows it well and is therefore a medal candidate. At the same time, there are more medal candidates in the Laser discipline with the boats provided than in any other discipline."
The helmsman from the Alpsee Immenstadt Sailing Club was Germany's most successful Olympic sailor in the current Olympics, winning silver at the 2015 World and European Championships. His coach is Thomas Piesker from Berlin. He learnt his craft from his father Friedl Buhl on the Großer Alpsee in the Allgäu. In addition to national coach Piesker, Friedl Buhl will also support the well-coordinated team in Rio with information and analyses.
Buhl is a likeable fair player and an approachable top athlete who has never lost his grip on reality despite his many highs and has earned a lot of respect as a result. His prediction: "I'm normally mentally strong and believe that I can also be that at the Olympic regatta. I know that I want to do something great in Rio. A medal would be great!" Buhl shares his flat in the Olympic Village with RS:X surfer Toni Wilhelm. Both have already moved in, cleaned off the remaining building dust and feel at home on the 17th floor of the skyscrapers with a "great view" (Buhl).
The Sonthofen sports soldier's first starting shot will be fired on 8 August. Today, a week beforehand, Buhl told YACHT online: "The spirit is cool here. It's fun!" The medal race for the best ten laser sailors will take place on 15 August at 7 pm German time.
