(SID). The parade boat on the right track, Oliver Zeidler, is still in his league: German Rovers are in the form of medals for almost two months before the Olympic Games. After bitter EM disappointment at the traditional World Cup in Lucerne, Germany improved significantly to second in the eight, eventually missing only three hundredths from European champions Great Britain in the photo finish.

A world champion Oliver Zeidler underscored his role as a favorite for Tokyo with a new display of power.

Germany Eight fought face-to-face with Great Britain with several changes in leadership, only to have the arch-rival advance the tip of the boat a centimeter ahead in the final few meters. The third European Championship from the Netherlands, which pushed the German flagship to fourth place in the European Championship, reached the finish line in seventh place, seven seconds behind. “It was a super combative performance,” said national coach Uwe Bender: “I can still see room for improvement, but it was one step ahead.” The performance of the crew around batsman Hannes Osik in Lucerne was a statement at the right time in the battle for Olympic gold, as it was the last real endurance test before the Games.

Zeidler also presented himself very well in his third major race of the year. The 24-year-old broke away from the rest of the field on the second 1000 meters and won the European Championship runner-up about two seconds ahead of Sveri Nielsen (Denmark) and about six seconds ahead of the third placed Norwegian Kjetil Borch. “I’m happy with the result, my race plan went very well,” Zeidler said. The Ingolstadt player had already won important wins at the European Championships and the first World Cup in Zagreb.

EM runners-up Jason Osborne (Mainz) and Jonathan Rommelman (Krefeld) finished third on the lightweight two-man team in Lucerne. The quadruple of women at Rotsi finished second after China. Mark Weber (Giesner RC Hasia) and Stephen Krueger (Frankfurt) were eliminated in the men’s double sculls in the semi-finals.