ANDREAS IHLE

Olympic champion in canoeing

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ANDREAS IHLE

Olympic champion in canoeing

Born	2nd June 1979, in Bad Dürrenberg
Place of residence	Magdeburg
Discipline	Canoeing
Club	SC Magdeburg

Greatest sporting achievements

Olympic gold
2008

Olympic silver
Men’s-kayak-four (2004)

Olympic bronze
Men’s-kayak-two 1,000 m (2012)

World champion
Men’s-kayak-two 1,000 m (2001)

European Championships
Men’s-kayak-two 1,000 m (2011)

German champion
Men’s-kayak-two 500 m, Men’s-kayak-four 500 m & 1000 m (2000)
Men’s-kayak-four 500 m & Men’s-kayak-four 1,000 m (2001)

ANDREAS IHLE – GOLD MEDAL IN MEN’S KAYAK TWO

Element water: Canoe racing is his world. Andreas Ihle is one of Germany’s most successful canoeists who raced for SC Magdeburg until 2015.

Impressive career

Andreas Ihle began canoe racing in Bad Dürrenberg in 1988. Four years later, he transferred to SC Magdeburg. Having an impressive career, his greatest success was winning the Olympic gold medal in the Men’s-kayak-two in 2008. Andreas Ihle had already won silver at the Olympic Games in 2004, and in 2012 in London he was awarded bronze.
During his career, he also became world champion, vice world champion, European champion and vice European champion several times.

Included on the Sports Walk of Fame

Sponsor:At first, it wasn’t clear if Andreas Ihle would be able to compete in the 2008 Olympics because his team-mate was ill. However, he and another team-mate, Martin Hollstein, still managed to qualify in the 1,000-metre sprint. In Beijing, the pair surprisingly won the gold medal in the 1,000-metre Men’s-kayak-two event.

Since 2012, this victory has been honoured on the Sports Walk of Fame in Magdeburg. At the unveiling, the then mayor, Dr Lutz Trümper, highlighted the importance of this outstanding achievement for the city.