World Championships 2011

Back on the podium again! It’s been a great World Championships for me. My level is better than I hoped for when I started training again in November 2010. I managed to do everything right all year and did my best races and got my best result here in Szeged. The atmosphere is special when it’s the Olympic qualification and it’s hard to get trough. I am very happy for qualifying for the London 2012 Olympics and feel sorry for all the crews that didn’t make it. Men’s K4 1000m gave us some surprises as the Olympic Champions Belarus, World Champions France and European Champions Portugal did not make the qualification.  In the Men’s K2 1000m it was a happy surprise that Henrik Nilsson and Marcus Oscarsson from Sweden won the silver. Henrik Nilsson hasn’t competed since 2004! It’s nice to see that I am not the only “old” guy still around! The organizers of Szeged 2011 did a great job, from opening ceremony to afterparty.  As always after the Olympic qualification it will be interesting to see how ICF read their Olympic qualification rules and where the available spots ends up!