Thomas Zereske

Thomas Zereske (born May 22, 1966 in Neubrandenburg ; † June 28, 2004 there ) was a German canoeist and trainer .

Career

Zereske was a qualified sports teacher by profession and belonged to the SC Neubrandenburg association. He was a four-time Olympic participant between 1988 and 2000, although he was unable to start as a substitute driver in 1992 after losing to Olaf Heukrodt in the jump-off for a start in the single-canoe . During this time he also won ten medals at nine world championships, including two world championship titles in 1997 and 1998. In 1997 he was very successful in the two-man Canoe with Christian Gille , who became Olympic champion in this discipline at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens .

After the end of his racing career in 2000, he became involved as a trainer and active in dragon boat sports . Teams he oversees as the German selection coach won three medals at the 2002 World Championships and two medals in 2003, including a 2002 World Championship.

Thomas Zereske died on June 28, 2004 at the age of 38 from aggressive leukemia , which he had only been diagnosed five days earlier.

Sporting successes (selection)

Olympic games

• 1988 - 5th place C2 500 m (with Alexander Schuck - SC DHfK Leipzig )
• 1996 - 5th place C1 500 m
• 2000 - 5th place C2 500 m (with Christian Gille - SC DHfK Leipzig)

Canoe World Championships

• 1990 - silver C1 500 m, bronze C1 1000 m
• 1991 - Bronze C4 500 m
• 1995 - silver C1 200 m, silver C2 200 m
• 1997 - World Champion C2 200 m, Bronze C2 500 m
• 1998 - World Champion C2 200 m, Bronze C2 500 m
• 1999 - Bronze C2 200 m

Dragon Boat World Championships (as a trainer)

• 2002 - World Champion women 500 m, silver men 500 m, bronze men 250 m
• 2003 - silver women 500 m, silver men 500 m

Web links

• Thomas Zereske in the database of Sports-Reference (English; archived from the original )