This title race was no walk in the park for all-time champion Heiko Kröger from Ammersbek, near Hamburg. “I had to fight, strategise and do the maths,” said the 60-year-old after the six-day world championship in the 2.4mR solo keelboat class. Heiko Kröger also took away this message from his successful quest for his fourth gold at an open 2.4mR World Championship: “As a World Championship venue, the Sneekermeer is not for beginners.”
2.4mR World Championship showdown: Kröger vs Huth
At first glance, the lake in this Dutch province appears welcoming and peaceful. In the sunshine, many pleasure boats chug through the glistening waters here. But the Sneekermeer is a lake that needs to be mastered first, with its varying wind conditions and shifting currents, which are quite reminiscent of sailing on Hamburg’s Außenalster.
“Just when you think you’ve spotted a pattern, know where the spin is coming from and are betting on the corner, that’s exactly when it doesn’t come,” he knew Heiko Kröger to report on the challenging sailing chess competition in Holland. Nevertheless, he rose to the challenge he had set himself with flying colours, securing five race wins and demonstrating masterful skill, and his 16th World Championship title in total won at World Championships held as open or closed events in the former Paralympic class.
Heiko Kröger has thus broken his own record yet again. On the Sneekermeer, Norway’s Frank Huth came off second best, having to concede defeat to his German opponent by four points following a thrilling duel.
World Championship bronze in the 2.4mR class for Kalle Dehler
Heiko Kröger won the World Championships under sail number GER 1 after eleven races, finishing on 18 points ahead of Frank Huth (22 points) and – a strong performance – Kalle Dehler, who finished third overall in his GER 10 with a total of 32 points following a successful final spurt and a victory in the final race – securing World Championship bronze for him. “Kalle is simply an outstanding sailor; that’s been demonstrated once again,” said Heiko Kröger, paying his compatriot a great deal of respect.
Among those who fell short on the Sneekermeer, in a field of 85 competitors from 19 nations, was former world champion Megan Pascoe, who finished fifth with 38 points, behind Italy’s Antonio Squizzato (37 points). Click here for the World Cup results.
Kröger has known his Norwegian 2.4mR rival, Frank Huth, for quite some time. The German says: “The Norwegian was already very good the year before last and had a new boat built last year, which is a bit different. It isn’t any faster, though. But it shows just how motivated he is.”
2.4mR champion has fallen in love with the OK dinghy all over again
Kröger himself has only sailed his 2.4mR for a few days this year ahead of the World Championships, but he knows: “I’ve got decades of experience under my belt. You get back into the swing of things quickly.” Even this seasoned sailor isn’t entirely free from nerves when it comes to making decisions, though. On the morning before the final, he had no appetite – a sign of that. But then he told himself: “You mustn’t be afraid of losing; you have to be keen to win.”
Kröger had plenty of praise for the organisers: “The Dutch are a lovely bunch. For us sailors, it was a brilliant event. The volunteers were incredibly dedicated. And they’ve already been warming up for the annual Sneekweek, which is held once a year with lots of races on the Sneekermeer.” This year, Sneekweek will take place from 31 July to 6 August and will once again be accompanied by parties, live music and a large funfair in the town.
On his World Championship victory, Paralympic champion Heiko Kröger – who, twelve years after winning gold at Sydney 2000, went on to add a Paralympic silver in the 2.4mR class at Weymouth in 2012 – drew on more than a quarter of a century’s experience in the demanding, small but excellent 2.4mR keelboat. Even without his left forearm, he learnt to sail in an Optimist on Lake Bigge at the age of seven and has long since become a world-class sailor. Most recently, the former Laser helmsman has taken up the OK dinghy. He had already begun training for this back in the winter.
"I bought a hanging bench and pushed myself to the limit until my knees were on fire." Heiko Kröger
In the OK class, Heiko Kröger competed in Kiel Week and fought his way to 18th place straight away. In fact, in one of the four races – the only ones possible during this year’s light-wind ‘Wonnewoche’ – he almost finished in second place. Despite a minor mistake on the way to the finish, he still managed to finish fifth. The big names in the OK dinghy class were impressed. For Heiko Kröger, both the 2.4mR and the OK dinghy are attractive because they offer large fields, are technically demanding, and allow you to achieve a great deal with a bit of ingenuity and ‘tinkering’.
The joy of sailing as the elixir of life
Kröger, who sails for the Segeberg Sailing Club, says: “When I started sailing the OK dinghy two years ago, I thought: ‘Now I might actually make something of it. If I wait ten years to give it a go, it’ll be too late.’ So I’ve been training and I’m in pretty good shape. OK sailing is great fun – it’s brilliant.”
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
