Sailing Olympic: With ease to the top of the world

The helmswoman's nickname belies her great sailing skills and performance: Victoria "Püppi" Jurczok and her foresailor Anika Lorenz are among the world's best teams in the 49erFX. As World Championship bronze medallists, the Berliners will be among the favourites when the first Olympic starting shot is fired for the skiff dinghies on 12 August. Their strengths seem to be made for the moody and unpredictable Olympic waters: the crew from the Seglerhaus am Wannsee club often sail best under pressure. Vicky and Anika particularly like tactical and strategic challenges such as those in Guanabara Bay. Under these conditions, the most successful women's team in Audi Sailing Team Germany has earned a place among the world's top 49erFX sailors in recent years. They now want to achieve the same at the Olympic Games.

The Audi Sailing Team Germany also produced this Olympic portrait. The two Berliners talk about their "Road to Rio", their goals and hopes and a little lucky pig soap that has already brought them luck and will also be part of the action in Rio.

DSV head coach David Howlett sees Jurczok and Lorenz on a good course: "Vicky and Anika have grown with their tasks and have mastered the challenges in the national Olympic qualification with confidence. At the end of this preliminary phase, they are undisputedly Germany's best 49erFX crew. They are balanced and down-to-earth characters. Anika has greatly improved her fitness. I've watched them a lot. They don't panic in light winds and have good answers to the challenges of the Olympic area. The two of them can flirt with a top-three finish."

The ambitious Berliners want to do more than just flirt. Weighing just 125 kilograms between them, making them one of the lightest crews in the field of just 20 49erFX dinghies, they have prepared meticulously for their first Olympic appearance, where the women's skiffs are also celebrating their premiere. Jurczok and Lorenz compensate for their minimal weight deficit, which they have almost made up, with outstanding tactical flair and perfectly executed manoeuvres. In light and shifty winds, the relatively low crew weight can also bring advantages. With World Championship bronze in their luggage, Vicky and Anika are determined to play to their greatest strength under the Sugar Loaf: "We are good when it really counts."

The two athletes have single-mindedly paved their way to the top of the world rankings. Coach Max Groy attests to their "extremely hard work, an outstanding feel for the boat and great technique." An Olympic medal is right at the top of the wish list for the two likeable sailors. Vicky Jurczok shares this ambitious goal with her partner Erik Heil, who is starting the Olympic regatta on the same day as her and is also one of the favourites in the men's 49er skiff with his co-skipper Thomas Plößel. Together, Jurczok and Heil are the first German sailing pair to compete for a medal at the Olympic Games at the same time. Victoria Jurczok said before the start: "We have worked long and hard for this goal." Now the Games can come.