Pictured below, Abby Loughrey, is receiving her GOLD medal at the medal docks from the German Rowing Federation's director at the Cologne International Regatta in the Spring of 2002 for the Junior Women's 1x. Abby was preparing for the USRowing Trials and wanted to not only be competitive at the USA level but at the international level. That spring, Abby also raced successfully in Mexico City. Abby went on to win the USA Trials for the Junior Women's 1x and raced in Trakai, Lithuania that summer at the FISA World Rowing Junior Championships.
The Cologne rowing club who hosted the event, Bayer International, sponsored not only the German National Team, but also the Belarus athletes where Ekaterina Karsten trained with her team. Ms. Karsten is a two-times Olympic champion and six times World Champion. She won Olympic gold in single sculls in 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. In 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens she won a silver medal and in 2008 she picked up a bronze. It was a rare treat to be able to see Ms. Karsten train while we were in Colgne for that regatta. Watching an Olympic champion train was life changing.
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