Birgit Skarstein, Rowing | Skarstein defended the EC gold in rowing

Para-rower Birgit Skarstein (35) was the strongest in Hungary and took EC gold in single sculls for the fourth year in a row.

With a time of 10.52.40, it was another triumph for Skarstein, who is used to winning, in the regatta in Szeged. She is the reigning Paralympics, world and European champion in her class.

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On Saturday, she won ahead of Manuela Diening from Germany and France’s Nathalie Benoit. The strong Israeli Moran Samuel led the race at the beginning, but cracked along the way and finished fourth.

– This is one of the hardest races I have ever done. It was a really tough headwind, and I was so tired. Moran was so far ahead, so my tactic was not to follow her, but rather to hang with France and Germany and try to row through the wind instead of crashing into it, Skarstein told the organizer.

Birgit Skarstein has a total of eleven gold medals from the Olympics (1), WC (6) and EC (4) in para rowing. She is also qualified for the Paralympics in Paris this summer.

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Skarstein has had a somewhat troubled run-up to the 2024 season as a result of a broken leg just before Christmas. She tested the martial art of judo and suffered a fracture when she threw her opponent onto her own leg.

– It was not very wise. I was so embarrassed that I didn’t dare say what I had done at first, but I just had to say it. You can imagine the nurse’s reaction when I told them that I had tried judo, Skarstein told Trønder-Avisa at the time.

(© NTB)