- Karl Adam (rowing coach)
Adam had a major impact on one of the most successful eras in German rowing history that started at the end of the 1950s. He was co-founder of the
Ratzeburg Rowing Club in 1953 and head of the Rowing Academy there. He had never rowed or sculled before he started coaching.A great innovator of rowing and training techniques, Adam's methods had a major impact on the further development of rowing. His rowing technique became known in the rowing world as the "
Ratzeburg " style. Adam was the first to adaptfartlek , also known as speedplay, andinterval training from track (athletics) to rowing. He pioneered a new, more efficient, oar design and was the first coach to use "bucket" or "German" rigging. (Typical rigging alternates between port and starboard rowers (e.g. PSPS). In German rigging, two starboard (or port) rowers sit directly behind one another, e.g. PSSP).Between 1959 and 1967, his boats won seven titles at World and European Championships. In addition his eight won a gold medal at the
1960 Summer Olympics inRome , a silver medal at the1964 Summer Olympics inTokyo , and a gold medal at the1968 Summer Olympics inMexico . Nothing since has matched the impact of the sudden explosion of Ratzeburg and Karl Adam onto the rowing scene.
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