Birgit Skarstein, 33, has been the best female rower in the world for several years. On Saturday, he rowed his second EC gold of his career.

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Skarstein recorded a new world best time in the women’s class when she won the World Cup test race in Poznan, Poland earlier this year (9.50.39), and after winning all of the last five international championships she has competed in (WC in 2017, 2018 and 2019). , EC in 2021 and Paralympics in 2021), he is the big favorite in Saturday’s EC final.

In Munich, Germany – where the “super EC” is hosted with nine different sports – he won Thursday’s test race, and in the final he took command from the start.

After 500 meters (in 2000), he was already 2.7 seconds ahead of his closest pursuer, Moran Samuel. His lead increased to over six seconds after 1000 meters. German host Manuela Diening’s hopes picked up speed in the second half of the race, and for some time came close to Skarstein. However, the 33-year-old Norwegian had conserved his energy for the final sprint, and once again increased his lead towards the end. In the end, he won in incredible style with a time of 10:59.89, eight seconds ahead of Diening.

– I am very happy. I was so nervous that I was going to throw up before the race, and at least I threw up when I crossed the finish line. It was a great day today, he said with a chuckle to NRK.

Skarstein has won every competition he has entered since finishing fourth at the 2016 Paralympics.

– There is no limit to what he can do. Very cool, Kjetil Borch told NRK about Skarstein.

Borch, who won an Olympic silver medal last year, has had a troubled season so far. He won his attempt early in the championship, but finished fourth in Saturday’s semifinals and thus had to settle for the B-finals on Sunday. Things went better for Siri Eva Kristiansen, who with third place in the second semi-final hijacked a place in Sunday’s A-finals.

Kristiansen has previously rowed in pairs, doubles pedaled and doubles fours, but has opted for singles pedaling this year, and now gets the chance to fight for the EC medal.

– This is a breakthrough for him internationally, said former WC winner Are Strandli in broadcast NRK.

Previously in “super EC” had track cyclist Anita Yvonne Stenberg – who frequently trains with Kristiansen – won gold early on. On Monday, the European Athletics Championships kick off in the same city, where, among others, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Karsten Warholm and Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal are expected to compete for more gold.