Last weekend, the German University Rowing Championships took place on the Fühlinger See in Cologne. Students from KIT and the universities competed as the Karlsruhe competition team.

The women's four showed their skills in the very first final. Victoria Karl, Esther Linner, Luise Münch and Aileen Vögeli won confidently ahead of the women from Hanover. As the fastest boat, they have qualified for the European University Championship (EUC), as they did this year.

The men's four without with Karl Draper, Jonas Fitz, Rune Grofer and Rupert Pretzler won its preliminary heat and entered the final as the second-fastest boat. A mishap on the stroke area brought the boat to a halt halfway through the course and the team crossed the finish line in fifth place.
In the mixed eight, the crews of the two coxless fours rowed in one boat. Coxed by Carla Abuera, they won the silver medal behind Bochum.

The men's eight continued with Karl Draper, Jonas Fitz, Rune Grofer, Alexander Haas, Martin Kansy, Adrian Mengendoht, Rupert Pretzler, Henri Becker and coxswain Carla Abuera. In an exciting race, the team from Karlsruhe took second place, relegating arch-rivals Aachen to bronze. The competition team from Cologne won.
Two team members from Karlsruhe competed in the men's single sculls. Adrian Mengedoth finished fourth in the A final. Despite a spirited final sprint, he was 0.2 s short of a medal in the end. Henri Becker won the B final.
Helena Brenke showed all her skills in the women's single sculls. As a gold and silver medal winner at the German U23 Championships, she left nothing to chance and won with aplomb. As a result, this boat class has also been nominated for next year's EUC.

The German University Championships also offer competition classes for beginners. In the so-called novice race, starters must not have competed in a regatta or university championship before. The race is in the gig double four over 500 m. The rowers from Karlsruhe, some of whom only learned to row this year, won the C final in the men's double sculls and took second place in the D final in the mixed double sculls.
In the Challenge category, the rowers have to race, but must not have competed in any other regattas in the previous year. The Karlsruhe mixed four finished 6th in the A final.
Alexander Haas started in the Challenge single scull. He had already won silver in the regular men's eight. In the single scull he finished 5th in the A final.

With two gold and two silver medals, it was not enough for the trophy for the best university. Nevertheless, the result, especially the solid result in the oar boat classes, is optimistic for the EUC, which will take place in Poland in September.