1955 European Rowing Championships (men) explained

1955 European Rowing Championships (men)
Venue:	Watersportbaan
Location:	Ghent, Belgium
Dates:	25–28 August 1955
Competitors:	400
Nations:	21
Prev:	1955 Bucharest (women)
Next:	1956 Bled

The 1955 European Rowing Championships for men were rowing championships held in the Belgian city of Ghent. The venue was the Watersportbaan, which was built for these championships and was part of Belgium's preparation for their bid to host the 1960 Summer Olympics.^[1] The competition for women had been held earlier in the month in Bucharest.^[2] The event in Ghent was held from 25 to 28 August and they competed in all seven Olympic boat classes (M1x, M2x, M2-, M2+, M4-, M4+, M8+). Some 400 competitors from 21 countries competed.^[3]

German participation

The National Olympic Committee of the GDR was granted provisional membership in 1955 and as a next step, East Germany tried to gain membership of the individual sporting organisations that participated in Olympic disciplines. In July 1955, the East German rowing association applied for a license from FISA, the International Rowing Federation, to be able to nominate their rowers at the European Championships in Bucharest (women) and Ghent (men). FISA's response was that the next congress, to be held just prior to the championships in Ghent, will decide on the matter. Therefore, East German teams could not compete in 1955.^[4] At the congress, East Germany was unanimously accepted as a new member.^[5]

West Germany was represented in Ghent in six boat classes.^[6]

Romania

A Romanian crew won gold with the coxless four. This was the country's first gold medal in international rowing.^{[7] [8]}

Medal summary – men's events

Event	Gold		Silver		Bronze
	Country & rowers	Time	Country & rowers	Time	Country & rowers	Time
M1x^[9]	Teodor Kocerka		Yuriy Tyukalov		Rob van Mesdag
M2x^[10]	Heorhiy Zhylin Ihor Yemchuk		Albert Krajmer František Reich		Perica Vlašić Nikola Lucsin
M2-^[11]	Igor Buldakov Viktor Ivanov		Michel Knuysen Bob Baetens		Jorge Glusman Eduardo Glusman
M2+^[12]	Gottfried Kottmann Rolf Streuli Walter Ludin (cox)		Veli Lehtelä Toimi Pitkänen Matti Niemi (cox)		Claude Martin Édouard Leguery Daniel Forget (cox)
M4-^[13]	Ştefan Somogyi Anton Senceac Radu Nicolae Ştefan Pongratz		Ib Jensen Bent Brönnum Leif Hermansen Björn Brönnum		Jorma Salonen Reino Poutanen Eero Lehtovirta Kauko Hänninen
M4+^[14]	Juan Ecker Emilio Czerner Jorge Schneider Alfredo Czerner Gerardo Santos (cox)		Evert Gunnarsson Ivar Aronsson Gösta Eriksson Olle Larsson Bertil Göransson (cox)		Jorma Salonen Reino Poutanen Eero Lehtovirta Kauko Hänninen Rolf Tuominen (cox)
M8+^[15]	Yevgeniy Brago Vladimir Rodimushkin Slava Amiragov Yevgeny Samsonov Igor Borisov Leonid Gissen Aleksey Komarov Vladimir Kryukov Vladimir Petrov (cox)		Evert Gunnarsson Ivar Aronsson Rune Andersson Lennart Hansson Bo Gustavsson Gösta Eriksson Olle Larsson Bertil Göransson (cox)		Hans Betz Günter Harms Roland Freihoff Heinz Zünkler Hans Wielath Walter Gisske Herbert Gossel Hermann Semrau Friedel Iserloh (cox)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Watersportbaan . multimania.fr . 4 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121013065950/http://membres.multimania.fr/architectuur/watersportbaan/watersportbaan.html . 13 October 2012.
2. News: Generalproben für die Olympiade 1956 . 1 March 2018 . . 11 . 11 . 14 January 1955 . 5 . de . 1 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180301104107/http://zefys.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/ddr-presse/ergebnisanzeige/?purl=SNP2612273X-19550114-0-5-59-0 . dead .
3. News: Der Sport am Wochenende . 4 March 2018 . . 11 . 199 . 26 August 1955 . 5 . de . 4 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180304055007/http://zefys.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/ddr-presse/ergebnisanzeige/?purl=SNP2612273X-19550826-0-5-153-0 . dead .
4. News: Ruderer haben ein Recht auf Anerkennung . 4 March 2018 . . 11 . 174 . 28 July 1955 . 4 . de . 4 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180304055114/http://zefys.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/ddr-presse/ergebnisanzeige/?purl=SNP26120215-19550728-0-4-43-0 . dead .
5. News: Sektion Rudern anerkannt . 4 March 2018 . . 11 . 210 . 8 September 1955 . 4 . de . 4 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180304113213/http://zefys.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/ddr-presse/ergebnisanzeige/?purl=SNP26120215-19550908-0-4-138-0 . dead .
6. News: Nur zwei Boote im Halbfinale . 4 March 2018 . . 11 . 200 . 27 August 1955 . 6 . de . 4 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180304113207/http://zefys.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/ddr-presse/ergebnisanzeige/?purl=SNP2612273X-19550827-0-6-246-0 . dead .
7. News: Radu Nicolae, primul canotor medaliat cu aur european, a încetat din viaţă . 8 March 2023 . . 22 November 2011.
8. Book: Solem Derringer . Karen . The Rower's Almanac 2006–2007 . n.d. . The Rowers Almanac Inc . 9780965132763 . 188.
9. Web site: Heckert . Karlheinz . Rudern – Europameisterschaften (Herren – Einer) . Sport Komplett . 2 March 2018. de.
10. Web site: Heckert . Karlheinz . Rudern – Europameisterschaften (Herren – Doppelzweier) . Sport Komplett . 2 March 2018. de.
11. Web site: Heckert . Karlheinz . Rudern – Europameisterschaften (Herren – Zweier ohne Steuermann) . Sport Komplett . 2 March 2018. de.
12. Web site: Heckert . Karlheinz . Rudern – Europameisterschaften (Herren – Zweier m. Stm.) . Sport Komplett . 2 March 2018. de.
13. Web site: Heckert . Karlheinz . Rudern – Europameisterschaften (Herren – Vierer o.Stm.) . Sport Komplett . 2 March 2018. de.
14. Web site: Heckert . Karlheinz . Rudern – Europameisterschaften (Herren – Vierer m.Stm.) . Sport Komplett . 2 March 2018. de.
15. Web site: Heckert . Karlheinz . Rudern – Europameisterschaften (Herren – Achter) . Sport Komplett . 2 March 2018. de.