1955 European Rowing Championships (men)

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 form 21 countries competed.[3]

1955 European Rowing Championships (men)
The Watersportbaan in 2004
Venue	Watersportbaan
Location	Ghent, Belgium
Dates	25–28 August
Competitors	c. 400 from 21 nations

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]

Medal summary – men's events

Event	Gold		Silver		Bronze
	Country & rowers	Time	Country & rowers	Time	Country & rowers	Time
M1x[7]	Poland Teodor Kocerka		Soviet Union Yuriy Tyukalov		Netherlands Rob van Mesdag
M2x[8]	Soviet Union Heorhiy Zhylin Ihor Yemchuk		Czechoslovakia Albert Krajmer František Reich		Yugoslavia Perica Vlašić Nikola Lucsin
M2-[9]	Soviet Union Igor Buldakov Viktor Ivanov		Belgium Michel Knuysen Bob Baetens		Argentina Jorge Gluzzman Eduardo Gluzzman
M2+[10]	Switzerland Gottfried Kottmann Rolf Streuli Walter Ludin (cox)		Finland Veli Lehtelä Toimi Pitkänen Matti Niemi (cox)		France Claude Martin Édouard Leguery Daniel Forget (cox)
M4-[11]	Romania Tiberiu Macean Anton Sinceac Nicolae Radu Ștefan Pongratz		Denmark Ib Jensen Bent Brönnum Leif Hermansen Björn Brönnum		Finland Jorma Salonen Reino Poutanen Eero Lehtovirta Kauko Hänninen
M4+[12]	Argentina Juan Ecker Emilio Czerner Jorge Schneider Alfredo Czerner Gerardo Santos (cox)		Sweden Evert Gunnarsson Ivar Aronsson Gösta Eriksson Olle Larsson Bertil Göransson (cox)		Finland Jorma Salonen Reino Poutanen Eero Lehtovirta Kauko Hänninen Rolf Tuominen (cox)
M8+[13]	Soviet Union Yevgeny Brago Vladimir Rodimushkin Slava Amiragov Yevgeny Samsonov Igor Borisov Leonid Gissen Aleksey Komarov Vladimir Kryukov Vladimir Petrov (cox)		Sweden Evert Gunnarsson Ivar Aronsson Rune Andersson Lennart Hansson Bo Gustavsson Gösta Eriksson Olle Larsson Bertil Göransson (cox)		West Germany Hans Betz Günter Harms Roland Freihoff Heinz Zünkler Hans Wielath Walter Gisske Herbert Gossel Hermann Semrau Friedel Iserloh (cox)

References

1. "Watersportbaan". multimania.fr. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
2. "Generalproben für die Olympiade 1956". Neue Zeit (in German). 11 (11). 14 January 1955. p. 5. Retrieved 1 March 2018.(registration required)
3. "Der Sport am Wochenende". Neue Zeit (in German). 11 (199). 26 August 1955. p. 5. Retrieved 4 March 2018.(registration required)
4. "Ruderer haben ein Recht auf Anerkennung". Berliner Zeitung (in German). 11 (174). 28 July 1955. p. 4. Retrieved 4 March 2018.(registration required)
5. "Sektion Rudern anerkannt". Berliner Zeitung (in German). 11 (210). 8 September 1955. p. 4. Retrieved 4 March 2018.(registration required)
6. "Nur zwei Boote im Halbfinale". Neue Zeit (in German). 11 (200). 27 August 1955. p. 6. Retrieved 4 March 2018.(registration required)
7. Heckert, Karlheinz. "Rudern – Europameisterschaften (Herren – Einer)" (in German). Sport Komplett. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
8. Heckert, Karlheinz. "Rudern – Europameisterschaften (Herren – Doppelzweier)" (in German). Sport Komplett. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
9. Heckert, Karlheinz. "Rudern – Europameisterschaften (Herren – Zweier ohne Steuermann)" (in German). Sport Komplett. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
10. Heckert, Karlheinz. "Rudern – Europameisterschaften (Herren – Zweier m. Stm.)" (in German). Sport Komplett. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
11. Heckert, Karlheinz. "Rudern – Europameisterschaften (Herren – Vierer o.Stm.)" (in German). Sport Komplett. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
12. Heckert, Karlheinz. "Rudern – Europameisterschaften (Herren – Vierer m.Stm.)" (in German). Sport Komplett. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
13. Heckert, Karlheinz. "Rudern – Europameisterschaften (Herren – Achter)" (in German). Sport Komplett. Retrieved 2 March 2018.