Action to help preserve 1972 Munich Olympic regatta course

The course is under the threat of being reduced in usage so that it could get to the point where it will no longer be usable as a regatta venue. The Munich City Council has offered three alternatives for usage of the facility. Two of these alternatives would exclude the facility from being a regatta venue.

A local organisation, Regatta Muenchen has established a petition that will go to the Munich City Council and the Bavarian government. During the recent International DRV Junior Regatta Munich, Regatta Muenchen presented a petition to save and preserve the regatta venue for future use as a regatta course for rowing and canoe sprint.

“The feedback received from the participants at the regatta convinced us that we are on track and won’t surrender without fighting for our regatta centre,” said Regatta Muenchen representative Oliver Bettzieche. “As in every good race, now it is time to demonstrate stamina and to activate all the power possible!”

Background:
The regatta centre was initially planned in the late 1960s as a perfect venue for the 1972 Olympic Games. Oberschleissheim was chosen due to the proximity to the city and the ideal location for post-Olympic usage. A special effort was made to fit the architecture harmoniously into the landscape of Dachauer Moos – today an extensive nature reserve. The centre is owned by the City of Munich, which took over the buildings of the 1972 Olympic Games and is administered by Olympiapark München GmbH.

The rowing and canoe sprint events at the Olympic Games were a tremendous success. The grandstand was built for 25,000 spectators. In 1973 the centre’s architect was honoured with the Grand Prize of the German Architects Association.

In the following years, the centre became one of the busiest regatta courses worldwide and it is a great sample for the sustainability of the 1972 buildings, just starting to show its age. World Rowing Championships were held in 1981 and 2007, the World Rowing Junior Championships in 1994, the 1998 World Rowing Masters Regatta, and World Rowing Cups from 1997 until 2012 plus additionally German Championships in rowing and canoe sprint.

Petition open to everyone to support the further use of the regatta course as a competition venue for rowing and canoe sprint.: http://bit.ly/1rD8pMr
Website: www.regatta.de
https://www.facebook.com/SaveRegatta
https://youtu.be/WXy00BYo6CM