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.
– I was a little angry after a heavy winter, Skarstein grins on the phone to VG.
Injuries have been in the queue for the Trønder in the preparations for the important Paralympics season.
– There has been a lot of cycling and little rowing this winter. Therefore, I didn’t quite know where I stood on the regatta course. On Thursday, I simply had no chance in the preliminary round. But I took a round with myself on Friday evening and set up a tactic, continues Birgit Skarstein.
On Saturday, she won ahead of Manuela Diening from Germany and France’s Nathalie Benoit.
– She is completely raw. She is superb as we are used to seeing, said NRK’s rowing expert Lars Bjønnes when the 35-year-old crossed the finish line.
The strong Israeli Moran Samuel led the race at the beginning, but cracked along the way and finished fourth.
– It was really “tricky” wind, and it was an advantage for me who is used to training in bad weather in Norway, Skarstein says to VG.
– The tactic was that I should not follow Moran, because I could see that she could maintain too high a pace. On the other hand, I wanted to catch up with France and Germany – but at the same time lie ahead of the German and gain a psychological advantage over her.
She has a total of eleven gold medals from the Olympics (1), WC (6) and EC (4) in para rowing.
– What are you thinking about the Paralympics in the summer?
– I think that I am much more positive now than I was last night. Everyone is very well prepared for this season, so it will be tough. But I’m really happy that I was able to dig so deep in the basement. It bodes well.
– What are you going to do now, asks VG about an hour after crossing the finish line?
– Get out and train!
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.
Skarstein was paralyzed from the waist down in 2009, but has partial feeling in his leg. She is qualified for the Paralympics in Paris this summer.
