Coronado Eagle, Volume 7, Number 27, 10 July 1996 — Coronado Resident To Assist German Rowing Team At The Summer Olympics [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Coronado Resident To Assist German Rowing Team At The Summer Olympics

by Erica M. Woiwode

Richard Dittbenner is wanted by the Germans. At their request,

Photo by Erica Woiwode

the Coronado resident will support the German Olympic rowing team this summer in Atlanta, Ga., to help the team prepare mentally, emotionally and physically for competition. Dittbenner and his wife have established a long-time friendship with the Director of the German Rowing Federation, Dr, Ralf Kollmann. It has enabled him to learn about the Rowing Federation’s expectations for the team. For years, Dittbenner and his wife have made regular visits to Germany and have made friends with Kollmann and his athletes. They have also taken rowing classes themselves, and can row singlesculls. Dittbenner is quite familiar with Atlanta, including the semi-rural location 60 miles outside of the city, where the rowing competition will take place. He plans to look after the athletes, their family members and corporate representatives from Germany staying at the Olympic Village and help with driving individuals around and being on-hand for

any emergency. Dittbenner will be given official status at the Olympic games. His main motive is to do “anything I can do to take the stress off (them).” The Olympic rowing competition is a 2,000 meter race (one-and-a-half miles). Rowers have to adjust to any kind of weather conditions that may exist, and it is not always possible to predict them. “Getting through the start is the

critical part,” Dittbenner said of the race, “then mai ntaini ng your rhythm and control all the way through.” Dittbenner and his wife have established a tradition of putting together Mexican fiestas for Kollmann and their friends in Northern Germany, and the couple’s German friends have visited them in Coronado frequently. “We have a very warm and close relationship with them,” he said.

Coronadan Richard Dittbenner is headed to Atlanta, GA., to assist the German Olympic rowing team in adjusting to the environment and preparing tor competition.