Andreas Dittmer
Encyclopedia
Andreas Dittmer (born 16 April 1972 in Neustrelitz
, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) is a German
sprint canoer
. The dominant sprint canoe
r of his generation in 1000 m races, he has won three Olympic and eight world championship gold medals.
Dittmer won his first world championship medal - a bronze - at Paris in 1991
as a member of Germany's C-4 500 m crew. In 1994
he won the C-2 1000 m world championship with Gunar Kirchbach
. At the 1996 Olympics
the pair won the gold medal in the same event.
Now established as Germany's top canoe sprinter he was selected for the C-1 event and won the C-1 1000 m world title at his first attempt in Dartmouth
, Canada in 1997
.
At Sydney 2000
he won the C-1 1000 m gold as well as the bronze in the 500 m race. He then won three consecutive C-1 1000 m world titles (2001
, 2002
, 2003
). In 2003 he also won his first world 500 m title, finally defeating four-time champion Maxim Opalev
of Russia to claim his first "double". At the European championships too he won three straight gold medals in his specialist 1000 m event, but had to be content with four consecutive silver medals behind Opalev in the 500 m.
Dittmer went to the 2004 Summer Olympics
as the overwhelming favourite for the 1000 m gold medal, having been undefeated in major finals for over four years.. However he was surprisingly beaten by Spain's David Cal
, who finished just 0.52 second ahead of Dittmer's time of 3:46.721.
In the C-1 500 m final Dittmer gained his revenge, edging out Cal by 0.34 seconds, to win the gold medal
in a time of 1:46.383, with 500 m specialist Opalev pushed back into third place.
Dittmer's sister, Anja Dittmer
, also competed at both the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. She is a triathlete
.
In 2005 he reasserted his authority over 1000 m, winning his fourth European C-1 gold medal in Poznań
. At the world championships, held in Zagreb
, he again doubled up winning his fourth consecutive C-1 1000 m gold as well as a second C-1 500 m title.
His run of success at the European championships finally came to an end in 2006 when he was defeated by Romania's Florin Mironcic in the 1000 m final in Račice
, Czech Republic.
At the 2006 World Championships in Szeged
, Hungary, Dittmer suffered the misfortune of being disqualified in the C-1 500 m heats. He also lost his 1000 m crown as Mexico's Everardo Cristóbal
won a shock victory ahead of the second-placed Dittmer.
Dittmer earned a silver in the C-1 500 m event at the 2007 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Duisburg
. He went on to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
, but did not medal in any of the C-1 events.
As of 2009, Dittmer has a total of 22 world championship medals.
Neustrelitz
Neustrelitz is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the shore of the Zierker See in the Mecklenburg Lake District. From 1738 until 1918 it was the capital of the duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz...
, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) is a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
sprint canoer
Canoe racing
This article discusses canoe sprint and canoe marathon, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking on more or less flat water. Both sports are governed by the International Canoe Federation ....
. The dominant sprint canoe
Sprint canoe
A sprint canoe is a special type of canoe used in the sport of flatwater canoe racing.A one-person sprint canoe is 5.20 metres long; a traveling canoe of a similar length would be suitable for 2 to 3 people with gear...
r of his generation in 1000 m races, he has won three Olympic and eight world championship gold medals.
Dittmer won his first world championship medal - a bronze - at Paris in 1991
1991 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 1991 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Paris, France.The men's competition consisted of eight Canadian and nine kayak events. Five events were held for the women, all in kayak...
as a member of Germany's C-4 500 m crew. In 1994
1994 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 1994 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Mexico City, Mexico for the second time at neighboring Xochimilco. The Mexican city had hosted the event previously in 1974 at the same venue that hosted the canoeing and rowing competitions for the 1968 Summer Olympics.The men's...
he won the C-2 1000 m world championship with Gunar Kirchbach
Gunar Kirchbach
Gunar Kirchbach is a German sprint canoer who competed in the mid to late 1990s. He won a gold medal in the C-2 1000 m event at the 1996 Summer Olympics, together with teammate Andreas Dittmer....
. At the 1996 Olympics
Canoeing at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The canoeing competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was composed of 16 events in two disciplines, slalom and sprint...
the pair won the gold medal in the same event.
Now established as Germany's top canoe sprinter he was selected for the C-1 event and won the C-1 1000 m world title at his first attempt in Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Dartmouth founded in 1750, is a community and planning area of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour, Dartmouth has been nicknamed the City of Lakes after the large number of lakes located in the city.On April 1, 1996, the provincial...
, Canada in 1997
1997 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 1997 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada on Lake Banook.The men's competition consisted of nine Canadian and nine kayak events. Eight events were held for the women, all in kayak...
.
At Sydney 2000
Canoeing at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Canoeing at the 2000 Summer Olympics was held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre for the sprint events and the Whitewater Stadium in Penrith for the canoe and kayak slalom disciplines. The repechage rounds that ran from the 1960 to the 1996 Games were eliminated in the sprint events while...
he won the C-1 1000 m gold as well as the bronze in the 500 m race. He then won three consecutive C-1 1000 m world titles (2001
2001 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 2001 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Poznań, Poland at Lake Malta. The Polish city had hosted the event previously in 1990....
, 2002
2002 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 2002 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Seville, Spain.The men's competition consisted of nine Canadian and nine kayak events...
, 2003
2003 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 2003 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held September 10–14, 2003 in Gainesville, Georgia, United States at Lake Lanier. Located north of Atlanta, this was also where the canoe sprint and rowing events for the 1996 Summer Olympics took place....
). In 2003 he also won his first world 500 m title, finally defeating four-time champion Maxim Opalev
Maxim Opalev
Maxim Alexandrovich Opalev is an athlete from Russia, who competes in sprint canoeing. Competing in three Summer Olympics, he has won a complete set of medals in the C-1 500 m event ....
of Russia to claim his first "double". At the European championships too he won three straight gold medals in his specialist 1000 m event, but had to be content with four consecutive silver medals behind Opalev in the 500 m.
Dittmer went to the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
as the overwhelming favourite for the 1000 m gold medal, having been undefeated in major finals for over four years.. However he was surprisingly beaten by Spain's David Cal
David Cal
David Cal Figueroa is a Spanish sprint canoer who has competed since 1999. Competing in two Summer Olympics, he has won four medals with a gold and three silvers .Cal was a junior world championship bronze medallist in Zagreb in 1999...
, who finished just 0.52 second ahead of Dittmer's time of 3:46.721.
In the C-1 500 m final Dittmer gained his revenge, edging out Cal by 0.34 seconds, to win the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in a time of 1:46.383, with 500 m specialist Opalev pushed back into third place.
Dittmer's sister, Anja Dittmer
Anja Dittmer
Anja Dittmer is an athlete from Germany, who competes in triathlon.The winner of the 1999 European Championships, Dittmer competed at the first Olympic triathlon at the 2000 Summer Olympics. She took eighteenth place with a total time of 2:04:36.88...
, also competed at both the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. She is a triathlete
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
.
In 2005 he reasserted his authority over 1000 m, winning his fourth European C-1 gold medal in Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
. At the world championships, held in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, he again doubled up winning his fourth consecutive C-1 1000 m gold as well as a second C-1 500 m title.
His run of success at the European championships finally came to an end in 2006 when he was defeated by Romania's Florin Mironcic in the 1000 m final in Račice
Racice
Račice is a village in Ústí nad Labem Region, Czech Republic. It is located 8 km northeast of Roudnice nad Labem or 41 km north of Prague and has a population of 308. It is the major rowing and flatwater canoeing venue in the Czech Republic. Račice hosted the 1993 World Rowing...
, Czech Republic.
At the 2006 World Championships in Szeged
Szeged
' is the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county town of Csongrád county. The University of Szeged is one of the most distinguished universities in Hungary....
, Hungary, Dittmer suffered the misfortune of being disqualified in the C-1 500 m heats. He also lost his 1000 m crown as Mexico's Everardo Cristóbal
Everardo Cristóbal
José Everardo Cristóbal Quirino is a Mexican sprint canoer who has been competing since 2005....
won a shock victory ahead of the second-placed Dittmer.
Dittmer earned a silver in the C-1 500 m event at the 2007 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
. He went on to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, but did not medal in any of the C-1 events.
As of 2009, Dittmer has a total of 22 world championship medals.