OC President Schuhmacher: "We are ready!"

Nine days before the Opening Ceremony of the Rowing World Championships 2007 on the Olympic regatta course in Munich-Oberschleissheim, the organisers have everything set up for the biggest ever World Championship regatta. “We are ready for the 68 nations, 1285 athletes and 474 boats” Bernd Schuhmacher, President of the World Championships Organising Committee, announced at the press conference on Thursday.
The Rowing World Championships is a highlight for the city of Munich, which is currently in the run up to an application for the Winter Olympics 2018: important IOC representatives will be present as guests at the World Championships.
Schuhmacher highlighted the importance of the World Championship regatta for the Olympic games in Peking next year: 70 Percent of the start places will be handed out in Munich.
Approximately 50,000 spectators will witness the sporting contest on the water for gold, silver and bronze. Schuhmacher reported that already more than 25,000 entrance tickets have been sold.
Eberhard Wühle, the chairman of the German rowing organisation (DRV) responsible for public relations, said: “I’ve been seeing such great enthusiasm in our clubs up and down the country”. The World Championships this year are “more exciting than ever before”, with such great drive and dynamics prevailing.
René Burmeister (Rostock), who will be racing with Christian Schreiber (Halle) in a double skull, is certain they’ll have a home field advantage: “Every boat, as soon as it reaches the noise from the grandstand, will get such an adrenaline kick, that will give them another big push.