The IOC President's premiere visit at the LUCERNE REGATTA
At the LUCERNE REGATTA, the new IOC President Kirsty Coventry visited a sporting event for the first time in her new role. In addition to the World Cup races, there was also a lot going on.
Kirsty Coventry has only been the most important sports official in the world for a few days and she couldn’t have chosen a more suitable location for her first sporting event since taking office: The Rotsee presented itself from its most beautiful side on Sunday, as it did throughout the weekend.
The former star swimmer had already arrived with her family the evening before, moved freely around the competition area without personal security and appeared close to the people. “I love watching the athletes,” she told SRF, “everyone I’ve met so far has a big smile on their face and says this is one of their favorite regattas.” She was accompanied during her stay by Swiss Olympic President Ruth Metzler-Arnold, OC President Mario Gyr and Jean-Christophe Rolland, President of the World Rowing Association. Before returning to Lausanne, Kirsty Coventry took the opportunity to visit the Rotsee swimming pool with her family.
Atmospheric tribute to Swiss Olympic athletes
As always after the Olympic Games, there is a bloodletting in rowing. It was no different in the Swiss team, where eleven athletes – Jeannine Gmelin, Patricia Merz, Frédérique Rol, Pascale Walker, Andri Struzina, Andrin Gulich, Roman Röösli, Joel Schürch, Dominic Condrau, Nils Schneider and Scott Bärlocher – retired after the Games in Paris for a variety of reasons. They received a well-deserved tribute on the final day and were bid farewell by the LUCERNE REGATTA and SWISS ROWING. Andras Gurovits, President of SWISS ROWING, put it this way in his laudatory speech: “You have made history, not just for yourselves, but for the whole of rowing Switzerland.”
The ultimate showdown in the city
The LUCERNE REGATTA was also a constant theme at the city festival. Late on Saturday afternoon, Olympic medal winners Andrin Gulich and Roman Röösli battled it out on the packed Kapellplatz in the 250 meter ergometer. The ultimate question was which of the two showpiece athletes was really faster. Gulich from Zurich beat Röösli from Lucerne.
Timon Wernas: “It was a top weekend”
Regatta director Timon Wernas was able to state with satisfaction on Sunday afternoon: “It was a top weekend. Everything went well, the conditions were fair and we were able to try out a lot of things. As always, we saw world-class sport and the visit from the IOC President was a great highlight. The estimated 12,000 spectators over the weekend proved once again that rowing is firmly anchored in Lucerne. It was another perfect calling card for the 2027 World Rowing Championships.”
