Sjoerd Hamburger

Sjoerd Hamburger (born February 8, 1983 in Oldeberkoop) is a sculler (rower) from the Netherlands, who competes in the single scull. [ [http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/6/218146.shtml Athlete biography: Sjoerd Hamburger] , beijing2008.cn, ret: Aug 06, 2008]

Hamburger was born and raised in Oldeberkoop where he played korfball and was involved in training for triathlons. When he was 18 he moved to Utrecht to study and started rowing in an Eight at the Orca Rowing Club. [http://www.sjoerdhamburger.nl/about/english/ Sjoerd Hamburger Biography] , sjoerdhamburger.nl, ret: 6 Aug, 2008] The Orca Men's Eight won a silver medal at the European Youth Championships that year. In 2003 Hamburger rowed in the Orca Four which came sixth at the World Under-23 Rowing Championships. On the advice of his coach Peter van der Noort, Hamburger started training in the Scull and thanks to a successful performance at the Dutch National Championships he was selected to take part in the World Cup. At the end of the year Hamburger won the bronze medal at the Under-23 World Championships. In December 2004 he was nominated alongside Meindert Klem and Eva de Jong as a Netherlands Talent Athlete. [http://www.sjoerdhamburger.nl/2004/ Sjoerd Hamburger: 2004] , sjoerdhamburger.nl, ret: 6 Aug, 2008] Later that month he became European Ergometer Champion.

In March 2005 Hamburger was recognised as the Netherlands most talented athlete. [http://www.sjoerdhamburger.nl/2005/ Sjoerd Hamburger: 2005] , sjoerdhamburger.nl, ret: 6 Aug, 2008] During the World Cup finals in Luzern he finished in sixth position and during the semi finals he broke the Dutch national record to scull 6:46.32. Two weeks later Hamburger became World Under-23 Champion in Amsterdam. At the Senior World Championships in Japan in September he reached 7th position after winning the B-final. In 2006 Hamburger achieved 8th position in the World, and managed to beat his own Dutch national record. [http://www.sjoerdhamburger.nl/2006/ Sjoerd Hamburger: 2006] , sjoerdhamburger.nl, ret: 6 Aug, 2008] During the first World Cup meeting of 2007 he came sixth in Linz. [http://www.sjoerdhamburger.nl/2007/ Sjoerd Hamburger: 2007] , sjoerdhamburger.nl, ret: 6 Aug, 2008] With a 7th position at the second World Cup in Amsterdam he showed greater stability in his performance. Thanks to a fifth position in the World Cup finals in Luzern Hamburger earned himself a nomination for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He now only needed to row among the 11 best rowers of the World at the World Championships and he succeeded.

The first World Cup of the 2008 season gave Hamburger an 8th spot in Munich. [http://www.sjoerdhamburger.nl/2008/ Sjoerd Hamburger: 2008] , sjoerdhamburger.nl, ret: 6 Aug, 2008] This was followed by a 7th place in the second World Cup in Luzern. After that he went to a training camp in South Korea to prepare for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

External links

* [http://www.sjoerdhamburger.nl Official website]

References