The 2018 Rowing Bundesliga is slowly drawing to a close. Last Saturday saw the penultimate of five race days take place. This time, the action moved to Leipzig. With the season so far having been something of a rollercoaster ride for the men of the SECUNIFRA Rüdersdorf eight, the aim this weekend was to go on the offensive once more and defend their mid-table position in the Bundesliga standings. But the outcome at the end of the day could not have been worse for the Rüdersdorf men.
The Elster Flutbett Arena in Leipzig is actually the favourite course for the men of the SECUINFRA Rüdersdorf eight. And with good reason, as the final races take place here under floodlights. A spectacle of light, not just for the spectators on the banks, but also for the rowers themselves. Last year, the Rüdersdorf men celebrated winning the silver medal here – their best-ever Bundesliga result. So the conditions are ideal for resuming the battle for a good position in the league table. Following a 15th-place finish on the last race day in Minden and a slip to 11th place in the league table, the Rüdersdorf men, together with their rowing teammates from Pirna, were determined to make amends for the race day in Leipzig. However, from the very start, the day did not go to plan. In the time trials, they first faced the RC Witten eight. A strong opponent battling for a place near the top of the table. The men from Witten went into this race as clear favourites. Yet both eights got off to a poor start on the day. Nevertheless, the Witten crew lived up to their role as favourites and won the time trial. The SECUINFRA eight, on the other hand, looked utterly dejected. Not only had they lost the time trial, they also recorded the second-worst time: 17th out of 18 boats. Only the Salzland eight from Bernburg were even slower on the course. And things were set to get even tougher. Because a real tough nut to crack awaited them in the round of 16: the Melitta eight from Minden. A contender for the league title this year. This was to prove a truly bitter pill for the men from Rüdersdorf to swallow. The Minden crew crossed the finish line first with a lead of over two seconds. Over a 300-metre course, that’s a clear statement. By now, at the very latest, it was clear to everyone: defending their position in the table was going to be tough today. But the men led by Tim Bartels, Alexander Bast and Florian Richter weren’t giving up just yet. Even though their opponents in the quarter-finals were set to be another tough nut to crack: the Waldsee eight. The SECUINFRA eight had already been beaten by the team from Bad Waldsee at the Bundesliga opener in Frankfurt am Main. Yet the Rüdersdorf lads gave it their all once more. With a razor-thin lead of just under a tenth of a second, they were the first to cross the finish line. There it was: the long-awaited first victory of the day. It was to remain their only one. But the euphoria was back for the time being, as the semi-final pitted them against the Salzland eight. This was supposedly their easiest opponent, having already been soundly beaten at the regattas in Frankfurt and Werder. On this day too, the men from Bernburg were still well behind the Rüdersdorf boat in the time trial. Ideal conditions, then, to maintain the Rüdersdorf team’s burgeoning upward trend. But the Bernburgers weren’t going to make it that easy for them. Both teams fought out a thrilling and closely contested race. This time, however, luck was on the Bernburgers’ side. They managed to win the quarter-final. A bitter setback for the SECUINFRA Rüdersdorf eight. A victory would have prevented them from slipping from 11th place in the table. But that hope was now well and truly dashed. The subsequent final race was merely a formality. Here, the Rüdersdorf men had to give it their all once more to avoid finishing the day in last place. Their opponents: the Mülheim sprint team. Yet another strong opponent to round off the day. But the Rüdersdorf team were unable to muster all their strength once again. The SECUINFRA eight also had to bow out of this race with a defeat. The result was thus confirmed: they could only manage last place on this day of racing and a drop to 15th place in the league table. A bitter disappointment. Even the encouragement from the fans who had travelled with the team was no longer enough. In the end, the winners were their opponents from the round of 16, the Melitta eight ‘Team Black’ from Minden. This season, they are locked in a neck-and-neck battle with the Hauptstadtsprinter from Berlin for the league title. For the SECUINFRA eight from Rüdersdorf, however, there is now only one chance left to end the season on a high note. In three weeks’ time, they will head to Bad Waldsee in Baden-Württemberg for the final race day.
Julia Hilpert
Rüdersdorfer Ruderverein Kalkberge e.V.