Nine years ago, Johannes Polgar and Florian Spalteholz missed a medal in the Tornado at the Qingdao Olympic Final. They sailed at bronze class in the Chinese algae area during the medal race before the collision with a piece of driftwood left the German catamaran out of control. "We capsized with broken embers and swam behind our boat instead of winning a medal, which was incredibly brutal and sad" recalls Johannes Polgar. The missed bronze medal was won by the Argentinian Santi Lange, who was to be world famous in 2016...
Polgar continued his Olympic career after 2008 in the Star boat because the Tornado had been canceled out of the program for 2012. With Markus Koy, he became European champion, but was defeated in the national Olympic qualification by Robert Stanjek and Fridtjof Kleen. After 2012 the Star boat was canceled from the Olympic program. Polgar finished his Olympic career and concentrated on his duties in the Audi automobile group, he is sport marketing coordinator, married Olympian sailor Kathrin Kadelbach and remained faithful to sailing in other fields such as the sailing Bundesliga or the Star Sailors League. The Olympic chapter seemed to be ticked off.
But then came the Olympic resurrection of catamaran sailing! The premiere of the mixed teams on the Nacra17 floors was experienced by Polgar in Rio de Janeiro as an increasingly enthusiastic observer. He also followed the Kieler Paul Kohlhoff and Carolina Werner in the Nacra17-Einsatz. The spectacular Olympic final of the Nacras 2016 won by Santi Lange alongside Ceci Carranza-Saroli. Lange, 54, was not only the oldest Olympic sailor in Rio, his success story also went around the world, because before the games in consequence of a cancer illness, a wing of one of his lung had to be removed. His victory – despite two penalties in the final – moved people around the world, and Polgar. It was Lange, who inspired the Germans in conversation about his first comeback thoughts and asked him why he did not come back again. "I will never forget these days in Rio," says Polgar "my Olympic fire was still burning."
The team Kohlhoff/Werner, who became known in Germany as a young team after their first international successes as "German Wonder Kids", separated after the 2016 Olympics. It was clear to both, however, that they wanted to compete with a new Olympic partner. In autumn 2016, Caro Werner and Johannes Polgar spoke for the first time about the possibility of a joint campaign. He was impressed by this active step, a common sailing day was promising, but the hurdles for a comeback seemed high.
During this time the Nacra17 was modernized again for the next Olympic Games. Currently, the fast-paced catamaran is a full-foiling model in the style of the big America's-Cup yachts.
Polgar, who races for the Norddeutschen Regatta Verein and the NRV Olympic Team, describes his decision-making at the start of the year: "I said no to Caro in the first place, but then I thought that I only get one chance like this. In the beginning it was a tough fight to set up logistically and organizationally, but now, with the support of my fantastic wife Kathrin, our families, a good job managing thanks to my modern thinking employer Audi and a strong team around us, that we are ready to go". Polgar will not give up his job ("I love it"). But he will change from the intensive operational role to a more strategic level with much travelling involved.
The new Nacra17 of the duo Polgar/Werner arrived in Germany last Wednesday and is currently being upgraded and optimized at the Marc Pickel shipyard, which has leveled the foils. Work is expected to be completed by the end of this week. On the weekend Polgar and 23-year-old Carolina Werner will go to the Strander Bay to be on the water for the first time with the new cat.
While Polgar has been physically working again in the last few months, the dynamic Caro Werner had a break from the Nacra17 and went on with the Swedish TP52 "Rán" in the 52 Super Series and other engagements at professional level. She also fears the restart: "When I was sailing with Jojo for the first time, many things worked out very well right away. He has a lot of experience, and he is also very fit." Polgar says about Werner: "For me, it was an important sign that the initiative came from Caro. She has the same fire as I do, she acts on board like a machine, she is super fit and has no fear."
Together, Polgar and Werner are looking forward to working with the other German teams ("I love that the German Sailing Team is now getting teams and competencies together"), but also wants to intensify internationally. "If you want to win an Olympic medal, you have to compete with the best," Polgar knows about planned trainings, and he would love to train for example, with Olympic champion Santi Lange and Spanish Fernando Echávarri. Whether the goal is an Olympic medal.."No question!", Says Polgar "this is still 'unfinished business' for me." In addition to Polgar/Werner, Flensburg's Jan Hauke Erichsen/Ann-Kathrin Wedemeyer and Paul Kohlhoff are also working on the goal of an Olympic medal in a new constellation with Alicia Stuhlemmer after the conclusion of the Youth America's Cup.
Translated from ©Tatjana Pokorny @Yacht.de
http://www.yacht.de/regatta/comeback-coup-polgar-und-werner-starten-olympia-kampagne/a113461.html
SSL Press Officer since 2015