World Rowing Cup I: Lucas Schäfer Back in the Lead

The countdown to the final Rio qualifying race is on

Cappel/Varese (I). Lucas Schäfer of the Rudern und Sport Steinmühle club, along with his three teammates Jonathan Koch, Tobias Franzmann, and Lars Wichert, was in top form at the A final of the Rowing World Cup I in Varese, Italy. The well-coordinated team easily advanced to the final in the coxless four and finished in fifth place. A total of 17 boats were entered in this class for World Cup I. The reigning world champion, Switzerland, took the victory. Ahead of the European Championships in Brandenburg (May 4–8), the team has set itself a few more goals to further optimize its overall performance. For Lucas Schäfer, training for all these competitions is aimed at getting him in top form for the final qualifying race in Lucerne, Switzerland, from May 19 to 25, which will ultimately determine whether he qualifies for the Olympic Games in Rio.

Photos: DRV/Brodersen

Photo 5587: The DRV’s lightweight four; Lucas Schäfer is third from the front.

Photo 5700: The lightweight four (Lucas Schäfer on the left) during a cycling training session.