to rowing at the Olympics
Full-time rower and part-time A cappella singer, André Vonarburg is a veteran of the Swiss national
rowing team. World Rowing caught up with him at the third stage of the Samsung World Rowing Cup
in Lucerne, Switzerland, where he achieved fourth place in the men’s quadruple sculls in a
very close final.
Vonarburg competed in his first ever Junior World
Rowing Championships in 1995, in Poznan, Poland,
winning bronze for his country in the junior men’s
eight. The following year he won bronze again,
this time in the junior men’s double in Strathlyde,
Great Britain.
From there, he instantly enjoyed senior success,
competing in the first stage of the 1997 Rowing
World Cup at the age of 18 in the men’s quadruple
sculls, finishing tenth, before securing bronze in
the same event at the second stage of the same
series, in Paris, France.
As Vonarburg states, he was “big for his age” at
13 and rowing was a natural progression.
“My father bought a boat and I went to the club for
the first time. One year later I took an initiation
course. In the same year, I participated in the Swiss
Championships in a large coxed four – a kind of a
sea boat – and that really was the initial fire. At that
instant it was clear to me that I wanted to row!”
When asked about his greatest
rowing memory, Vonarburg
states: “Without any doubt,
my favourite rowing
moment is the Sydney
Olympic Games. I was
22 years old at the
time and reaching
the final was my
biggest moment!“
The Swiss quad-
ruple sculls came
fifth in Sydney
and since, the
men’s squad
has performed
well in the
B-final of the
event, but has
never emulated
this achieve-
ment. >
Issue 17 – August 2011
