Karl Adam (rowing coach)
Encyclopedia
Karl Adam was a German
rowing
coach considered one of the most successful and innovative of all time. He is widely considered to be the most important rowing coach of the 20th century.
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. That he had never rowed or sculled before he started coaching is a legend. Adam learned rowing and sculling during his studies in Sports in the late 1930s. Previously, he was a competitive boxer and became World Champion of Students in 1937.
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 adapt fartlek
, also known as speedplay, and interval training
from track (athletics)as well as heavy weight training 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
in Rome
, a silver medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics
in Tokyo
, and a gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics
in Mexico
. Nothing since has matched the impact of the sudden explosion of Ratzeburg and Karl Adam onto the rowing scene.
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...
rowing
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
coach considered one of the most successful and innovative of all time. He is widely considered to be the most important rowing coach of the 20th century.
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
Ratzeburg Rowing Club
The Ratzeburg Rowing Club was founded in 1953 and is located in the town of Ratzeburg, Germany. Karl Adam was one of its founders and was head of the Rowing Academy there....
in 1953 and head of the Rowing Academy there. That he had never rowed or sculled before he started coaching is a legend. Adam learned rowing and sculling during his studies in Sports in the late 1930s. Previously, he was a competitive boxer and became World Champion of Students in 1937.
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
Ratzeburg
Ratzeburg is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is surrounded by four lakes—the resulting isthmuses between the lakes form the access lanes to the town. Ratzeburg is the capital of the Kreis of Lauenburg.-History:...
" style. Adam was the first to adapt fartlek
Fartlek
Fartlek, which means "speed play" in Swedish, is a form of interval training which puts stress on the whole aerobic energy system due to the continuous nature of the exercise. The difference between this type of training and continuous training is that the intensity or speed of the exercise varies,...
, also known as speedplay, and interval training
Interval training
Interval training is a type of physical training that involves bursts of high-intensity work interspersed with periods of low-intensity work...
from track (athletics)as well as heavy weight training 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
World Rowing Championships
The World Rowing Championships is an international rowing regatta organized by FISA . It is a week long event held at the end of the northern hemisphere summer and in non-Olympic years is the highlight of the international rowing calendar.The first event was held in Lucerne, Switzerland in 1962...
and European Championships
European Rowing Championships
The European Rowing Championships is an international Rowing regatta organised by FISA .The first event was held in 1893 and as of 1962 was replaced by the World Rowing Championships, which then became an annual event from 1974...
. In addition his eight won a gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, a silver medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, and a gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Nothing since has matched the impact of the sudden explosion of Ratzeburg and Karl Adam onto the rowing scene.