Obituary: Achim Griese will not only be remembered for his Olympic silver medal

It was only a few months ago that the North German Regatta Club bid farewell to its Olympians in Marseille this summer. Past medallists and Olympic participants were also present at the cheerful celebration on Hamburg's Outer Alster. Such as Joachim Griese, known to everyone as Achim, who won the silver medal in the Star boat with Michael Marcour at the 1984 Olympic Games.

Loyal to the club's Hamburg home

Achim Griese, a lawyer and real estate agent, had been a member of the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein since 17 October 1977. He remained loyal to his club for 47 years and was interested in and committed to the NRV Olympic Team until the end. At the farewell party in the summer, Achim Griese spoke to the athletes about today's challenges in competitive Olympic sport and talked about his own past.

The pressure was immense, the joy boundless." Achim Griese

Achim Griese and Michael Marcour had silvered his own sporting star boat successes at the Olympics in Los Angeles. They were only beaten there by the Americans William Earl Buchan and Steven Erickson. A disqualification in the first race prevented them from winning gold, but third place in the final race catapulted the German duo to second place on the Olympic podium. "I'll never forget that feeling when we crossed the finish line in the last race. The pressure was immense, the joy boundless," recalled Griese.

Successful silver duo

Achim Griese and Michael Marcour's best result at the Starboat World Championships was also silver, which they achieved in the 1983 pre-Olympic season. In the same year, they also won silver at the European Starboat Championships in Kiel. "You never forget how to sail. Only the level of training changes," Achim Griese often said. Sailing was in his blood.

When the Olympic sailor celebrated the 30th anniversary of his Achim Griese Trust in the NRV eight years ago, he also thanked the then NRV Commodore Gunter Persiehl, who had once been his godfather when he joined the club. "He always showed me the right way," said Griese about Persiehl. Their bond remained strong. Gunter Persiehl also accompanied Achim Griese in the last months of his life.

As head of the DSV Committee for the Olympics (OSA), Achim Griese spent many years looking after the next generation from 2004 onwards. His credo: "I'm not the type to be a functionary. And I've never been one for posts. But I'm still very aware of the challenges for the athletes and am happy to help." His original plan was once to "sail and work on the side".

Committed sponsor in the NRV Olympic Team

It didn't quite work out, because he was a successful entrepreneur. The work didn't do itself. "The sailing became less, the work more," he often said. However, he kept both ears to the ground and never stopped helping as a sponsor and mentor in the Olympic Team until the very end.

He was on board with the local America's Cup contenders in the 1980s, but they were unable to realise their project of a first German challenge in stormy Cup times. In the 1990s, he supported the ambitious sailing promotion campaign AeroSail. Alongside Olympic champions such as Jochen Schümann and Jörg Diesch, Achim Griese was also one of those who passed on their experience to the next generation. "It's interesting to build up young crews. You can see the progress for yourself," he said.

Achim Griese has been one of the most famous German sailors since the early 1980s. His track record also includes an Admiral's Cup victory. In 1985, he won the unofficial world championship of ocean sailing with the German trio in the strongest edition with 25 national teams. Team Germany came out on top against Great Britain and New Zealand.

Successes on the water and on land

The winning German Admiral's Cup team in the third of four GER victories in 1985 was made up of Peter Westphal-Langeloh's "Diva", Hans-Otto Schümann's "Rubin VIII" and Tilmar Hansen's twelve-metre "Outsider". Achim Griese steered the "Outsider" in a Cup edition that served up plenty of wind and a tough Fastnet final. Only three national teams were able to bring all three boats to the finish: Ireland, Australia and Germany.

As the son of a sea pilot, Achim Griese grew up with four siblings in Heikendorf on the Kiel Fjord. After leaving school, he studied law at Kiel University. He obtained his doctorate in 1979 and then began his training as a lawyer. Achim Griese, who was born in Berne on 25 August 1952, moved to Hamburg soon afterwards. There he entered the property business, becoming a partner in Büll, Dr Liedtke & Griese in the early 1980s. He soon founded his own Achim Griese trust company.

Achim Griese died last Sunday in the city where his company on the Elbe and his sailing club on the Alster were important pillars of life alongside his family.