8 + : 1. GDR 2. URS 3. FRG 4. NED 5. GBR 6. HUN The young East German eight, coached by the Olympic champion, Schubert, were the outstanding crew. They crossed the line three quarters of a length up on the Soviet crew built around the one which had finished third in Mexico. Both these crews were too powerful for the new FRG eight, coached by Karl Adam’s successor, his disciple, Rulffs. This final was a truly crowning mo ment. One hundred metres from the line, the Dutch were still lying second, but dropped two places. Nevertheless, they were only 11/100 sec: behind the second-placed crew. The last crew to finish crossed the line less than 10 seconds behind the winners. 7. ITA 8. YUG 9. USA 10. AUT 11. NOR 12. RAU (EGY) Former oarsmen On September 13th, after the men’s finals for places 7 — 12, an eights race was organised for FISA officials, national team managers, ex-champions and former competitors in the European championships. One hundred and twelve oarsmen were formed into seven crews for those under 45 years of age, and seven for those over. This latter category was won by the Swiss eight, led by the FISA president, Thomas Keller. The solemn unveiling of a splendid bust of him in gold-painted papier mache ended the day on a joyous note. In addition to the winners, all the Austrian officials in volved in the organisation deserved congratulations. In fact, these championships ought to have taken place in Banyolas, the venue for the 1992 Olympic Games. The Spanish federation had had to withdraw from their obli gations less than a year before the championships were due to take place. Offering to salvage the situation, the Austrian federation organized the championships in less than eleven months. Everyone was impressed by the high quality of the extensive facilities. It was a great pity that they were all temporary. Just one example illustrates how very provisional they were, and how quickly things were done. The so-called competitors’ stand, sited be yond the finish line, was judged to be fairly unsatisfacto ry, as the view from it was very restricted. The following day, without there having been any obvious signs of work, it had been moved to the middle of the lake, oppo site the main stand. The senior officers from the Austrian Army’s engineering corps had been at work! General Herbert Mueller-Elblein, the president of the Austrian federation, leading a party of rowing fanatics, had done the trick! March 18th 1970 An official request for the introduction into the Olympic programme of six women’s events was presented to the International Olympic Committee. August 5th—8th 1970 — Ioannina 1st FISA men’s junior championships 21 federations were represented in Greece, in the capital of the province of Epirus for the first junior champion ships open to national crews under the age of 18. Finals 4 +: 1. GDR 2. FRG 3. TCH 4. USA 5. SUI 6. GBR Names to note: Stefan Semmler, Andreas Decker, Peter Neefe... 2-: 1. GDR 2. ITA 3. FRG 4. BUT 5. SUI 6. AUT lx: 1. GDR 2. FRG 3. FRA 4. USA 5. DEN 6. NED 2 + : 1. GDR 2. GRE 3. ITA 4. FRA 5. YUG 6. FRG Siegfried Brietzke and Wolfgang Mager’s names were entered in EISA’s records: they were to recur there fre quently. 4-: 1. GDR 2. SUI 3. FRG 4. BUT 5. ESP 6. HUN 2x: 1. GDR 2. AUT 3. FRG 4. TCH 5. BUL 6. SUI 8 + : 1. GDR 2. FRG 3. FRA 4. USA 5. TCH 6. BUL A clean sweep for the East Germans. The future was theirs. September 1st 1970 — St. Catharine’s 66th ordinary FISA congress Present: 69 delegates from 32 federations The congress members were welcomed by the rector of Brock University in his great lecture theatre, which was beautifully decorated, wired for sound and air condi tioned. The proceedings were helped by the provision of simultaneous translation into three languages. Reports had been handed out the previous day in the form of number 3 of the FISA Bulletin, which was, like many sports federations’ publications, just beginning to run into financial difficulties. The proposal to introduce world championships for women would be on the agenda of the subsequent con gress. Projects: before examining the acceptability of both the lightweight category, which was popular in America, and of the men’s coxswainless quadruple sculls, it was intend ed to lay on demonstrations during the world champion ships to convince the delegates of the viability of that new category and of the technical merit of that elegant and fast boat class. 152
