On the beautiful blue Danube in a red jersey. The passion of the athletes in regattas
What does sport teach? Surely resistance and resilience, tenacity and perseverance, commitment and knowledge of one’s limits in the face of fatigue and pain. What to give sport? Certainly well-being and fun. But sport also tests those who practice it, and in competition as well as simply in the attempt to always move the bar a little higher, it makes us more aware and perhaps better, able to draw examples from teamwork, and empathy, and new bonds. There is all this in the discipline of rowing, but even more in rowing that opens up to disabled Paralympic and pararowing athletes with whom to overcome their restrictions imposed by particular physical or mental conditions and face daily challenges, in everyday training. , or exceptional, like this one: the Rowing descent of the Danube for six hundred kilometers from Passau to Budapest, crossing four different states, with its athletes in “red” on board.
Towards the “last” 300 kilometers
Yesterday change of crews for the start of the second part of the regatta with the first of its six stages, from Vienna to Bad Deutsch Altemburg. A challenging segment: the lock captain, however, preferred the passage of the fleet inside the Donau Canal, which passes within the city and avoids the main branch from the traffic of large ships. Special dispensation also for the 2 support motorboats as motorized navigation is generally forbidden in the Donau Canal. But the stage is also very fast. Less than three hours to travel about 45 kilometers despite the four helmsmen being their first experience on the Danube, which ended without errors and only some uncertainty, with the boats at noon safe on the Viadonau ramp, the body that monitors the Danube.
Up to here and beyond
The regatta had started on 21 July with the first leg, from Passau to Schlògen, about 30 kilometers, particularly hard due to the high temperatures, the lack of current and the difficult passage of the Jochstein lock, with about 10 meters of altitude difference between the mountain and the valley. To dictate the pace, however, the Paralympic crew, with Luca Agoletto upside down. On Friday 22 July the second stage led the boats from Schlògen a Linz, a very beautiful stretch from a landscape point of view, about 50 kilometers between woods and mountains, almost entirely man-made. A pleasant stop to say goodbye to Helga, who at 92 still goes out in single on the Danube every day and then an “intercultural” lunch break in the restaurant of the Ottensheim race course, run by Syrians and therefore with typical dishes of their country. At 3 pm, with the wind in favor, the boats reached their destination in an hour and a half. Saturday 23 July the third stage, from Linz to Grein (about 50 km.). From Linz the crews embarked around 9 am, with forecast of bad weather that then materialized only in a little wind against and friendly clouds to mitigate the heat of the sun. After passing the Wallsee lock, the surprise of being able to attend an exciting triathlon competition organized by the host club. As the oars resume, an energetic step up to Grein and his castle. On Sunday 24 July the crews were engaged in the fourth stage from Grein to Melk (about 45 km.), a very hot day again, which put some rowers in difficulty, halfway through the stage, they resorted to medical assistance due to pressure changes. With the necessary changes and reconstituted the crews with new forces, the fleet left for Melk, once again with the passage of a lock. Fast stage, however, that of 25 July from Melk to Durnsteinsolo 25 kilometers “tight”, and at the finish big applause for the closing of the first part of the regatta. From Vienna, in fact, with the new crews, the additional 300 kilometers that separate the company from its success. And so, on Wednesday 27 July the second part of the Descent began. At his first time on the Danube, the Pararowing athlete of CC3Ponti Daniela De Blasi who did not hide it, infecting all the crews with his irrepressible enthusiasm, in the stage of about 45 kilometers from Vienna to Bad Deutsch Altemburg. Today, Thursday 28 July, the section was covered from Bad Deutsch Altemburg to Bratislava (about 40 km), with boarding just before nine o’clock and the favor of a strong current that pushed the boats almost half way, in Bratislava. From then on a river stopped, and the regatta became really tiring, requiring almost hours for the completion of the stage. It wasn’t over. At the docking, in Cunovo, in the presence of a huge dam, all the boats were transhipped by hand for about 300 meters in order to be ready for navigation the next day in the internal channel, sheltered from the large naval traffic of the stretch. on Friday 29 July, about 60 km from Bratislava to Gonyu. Saturday 30 July the stage from Gonyu to Komarno about 30 km rowing, while on Sunday 31 July the boats will tackle the route of about 50 km from Komarno to Esztergom. On Monday 1st August the last, demanding, stage of about 65 kilometers from Esztergom in Budapestwhere the “great” Rowing descent of the Danube will end.
A “Naval Event”
Organized by Riccardo Dezi And Giulia Benigni of the 3 Bridges Rowing Club of Rome with the collaboration of Donauhort Ruderverein Circle of Vienna and the fundamental contribution of Third Pillar-International Foundation, the regatta has started from Passau, Germany, and will end its voyage in Budapest, Hungary. For the first time with the official recognition of a “Naval Event” by the Austrian government with the issue of a specific Decree, which has made it an “escorted” regatta and has ensured that boats have priority over other boats, particularly not negligible given the intense movement, even of large ships, which characterizes the Danube river.
On the trolleys
Mixed composition of the crews, with the participation of Master athletes of CC3Ponti, disabled athletes of Donauhort Ruderverein of Vienna with their – including David Erkingervisually impaired athlete belonging to the Austrian national team of Pararowing e Claudia Rauchblind athlete -, Italian athletes of the Paralympic team of CC Aniene, Luca Agoletto And Daniele Stefanoniand Pararowing athletes of the 3 Ponti Rowing Club Marco Carapacchio And Daniela De Blasithe latter for its first time in the company.
Press office CC 3 Ponti