SCHULZE Karl

General
BREAK AND RETURN
After winning his second Olympic gold at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro he took a break from the sport, and did not compete internationally in 2017 or 2018. After returning to training in 2018, he moved from Dresden to Hamburg as German rowing officials required that national team rowers train in centralised national training hubs. "It was worth it for me. If I hadn't moved to Hamburg at the time, it would have ended my career. I was able to improve after moving. The training in Hamburg enabled me to put myself forward as an Olympic candidate again [in 2020]. After taking a break for more than a year, I was no longer part of the national team and had to fight my way back in, which I managed." (saechsische.de, 01 Apr 2020; sportbuzzer.de, 31 Mar 2020)

IMPROVING WITH AGE
He will be age 33 when the Olympic Games in Tokyo take place in 2021, but is not concerned about its impact on his rowing abilities. "Far from it, I think I will not only be able to conserve my form, I will be able to improve it. Since turning 30, I have improved individually and set new records. We now have a bit more time as a team [following postponement of the Olympic Games], so I see this as a positive. We achieved Olympic success in 2012 and 2016 with a crew that had come together a year earlier, so it can only be a good thing that we have more months to prepare now." (saechsische.de, 01 Apr 2020)