Finalists for the highest honour in rowing selected
The Thomas Keller medal nominations list for 2007 has been
narrowed down to five finalists. The selected athletes include
France’s Jean-Christophe Rolland, Mike McKay of Australia,
Constantina Burcica of Romania, New Zealand’s Rob Waddell
and Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski of Germany.
The Thomi is the highest medal awarded in rowing and goes
to recently retired rowers, recognising an exceptional rowing
career as well as exemplary sportsmanship. Open to public
nomination for the second year, this year nominations were
received with all of the nominees showing outstanding credentials.
Currently Rolland serves on FISA’s Athletes Commission
after retiring from international rowing in 2000 following
a gold medal performance at the Sydney Olympics. McKay was
part of the legendary Australian Oarsome Foursome that won
gold at the Atlanta Olympics. He continued on to be part of
the Sydney silver medal eight and then gave it a last blast
as a 40 year old to win bronze at Athens.
Romania’s Burcica has won every lightweight women’s
double Olympic gold since its inception at the 1996 Atlanta
Olympics as well as earning silver in the women’s eight
as a heavyweight at the Barcelona Olympics. Waddell helped
stimulate resurgence in New Zealand rowing after his gold
medal win at the Sydney Olympics. He has often been pointed
to as the inspiration behind many of New Zealand’s current
successful rowers. Rutschow-Stomporowski had a long and illustrious
career that began as a junior medallist and ended 13 years
later with Olympic gold in the single in Athens.
The nominations were presented to the FISA Joint Commission
Meeting over the weekend in Madrid, Spain. All Council and
Commission members were eligible to vote. The five finalists
will now be put forward to the Thomas Keller Committee who
will determine the winner.
The recipient will be announced in early July with the award
being presented at the final Rowing World Cup in Lucerne,
Switzerland on 15 July.
Leading up to the announcement of the winner, World Rowing
will be profiling in detail the final five.
About the Thomas Keller Medal
“Any competitor who has had a long and successful rowing
career and who has made an outstanding contribution to rowing
as a competitor and as sports personality will be considered
for this honour. In principle, only one medal may be awarded
in any one year.”
Profile of the Candidates - The following five factors are
taken into consideration when selecting the successful recipient:
Success on the international level, e.g., medal count taking
level of competition into account;
“Type” of career – e.g., overcoming obstacles,
shortcomings;
Technical mastery of the sport, e.g., success in different
boat types as well as sculling and sweep rowing;
Sportsmanship, e.g., Respect for others, attitude, character,
“smiling win or lose”;
“Legendary” aspect, e.g., how perceived by the
rowing world and the world outside rowing.
N.B.: The medal should be awarded in principle to someone
up to five years after official retirement.
Previous winners of the Thomas Keller Medal
Alf Hansen (NOR)
Thomas Greiner (GER)
Yuri Pimenov (RUS)
Francesco Esposito (ITA)
Nikolai Pimenov (RUS)
Rolf Thorsen (NOR)
Giuseppe Abbagnale (ITA)
Carmine Abbagnale (ITA)
Jana Sorgers (GER)
Thomas Lange (GER)
Kerstin Koeppen (GER)
Roland Baar (GER)
Silken Laumann (CAN)
Kathleen Heddle (CAN)
Steve Redgrave (GBR)
Marnie McBean (CAN)
Peter Antoine (AUS)
Nico Rienks (NED)
Matthew Pinsent (GBR)
Agostino Abbagnale (ITA)
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