Short Biography
Born in Wriezen in the eastern German state of Brandenburg in 1982, Martin Sauer attributes his success to Communist sports' infrastructure, which continued to exist after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Sauer grew up in Berlin's Marzahn district, which was behind the Berlin Wall until November 1989. During the 1990s, he was discovered and developed through a systematic program for promoting young rowing talent. But becoming coxswain on a German eight is a real achievement. Sauer trained for 12 years in various boats, until he got his big chance as cox of the German eight in 2008. Since then, the coxed German eight has won every single competition it's been in, including the world championships in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The 29-year-old is also a law student in Dortmund. There he lives with his girlfriend, who is also a rower. Yet the year 2012 also brought sadness for Martin Sauer, when his father died unexpectedly in July, just one month before Martin’s Olympic victory in London.
Talking Germany's host Peter Craven talks with Martin Sauer about scouting for talent, teamwork and titles.
Features on these issues provide subjects for discussion and enhance the conversation on Talking Germany. Among other things, the conversation will address Sauer's role in the coxed eight, how his oarsmen see him, and how it feels to win Olympic gold.