Elisabeta Lipa, rowing's most decorated female athlete, is to be honoured for her outstanding career in rowing with the 2008 Thomas Keller Medal during a ceremony at Lucerne's Lake Rotsee on Sunday, 1 June, during the Finals of the Rowing World Cup regatta.
Lipa's rowing career spanned more than 20 years in which she competed in both sweep rowing and sculling. Her first Olympic gold medal was won in Los Angeles in 1984 in the women's double at age nineteen. Twenty years later at the Athens Olympics she left with her fifth Olympic gold medal, a feat only equalled in the men's category by Sir Steven Redgrave of Great Britain. Within those twenty years, Lipa retired twice, rowed under two different names (her maiden name Oleniuc and married name Lipa) went from sculling to sweep rowing, from single scull to double scull to eight and to fours, quads and pairs. She can only be considered one of the most successful and polyvalent rowers of all time.
Following Lipa's final retirement after the Athens Olympics, she dedicated more time to her career in the Romanian Police force. Lipa was also appointed a member of FISA's athlete's Commission, now giving back to international rowing through her involvement with the International federation.
Lipa remains an inspiration to young rowers, especially in her home country Romania where she is a household name.
The 18-carat gold Thomas Keller Medal will be presented to Elisabeta Lipa by Dominik Keller, son of the late Thomas Keller, on Sunday 1 June 2008 at 13:00, just before the start of the afternoon Finals at the Rowing World Cup regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland.
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About the Thomas Keller Medal
The Thomas Keller Medal is the highest distinction in the sport of rowing. It is awarded to recognise an exceptional international rowing career as well as exemplary sportsmanship and legendary aspect.
The award was named after the late President of FISA, Thomas Keller (Thomi). Born in 1924, Keller was elected President of FISA in 1958, at the age of 34 and was then the youngest-ever president of an international sports federation.
Following the 1988 Olympics, Thomi Keller spontaneously awarded the FISA Medal of Honour to Peter-Michael Kolbe and Pertti Karpinnen to commemorate one of the greatest rivalries in the history of the sport and recognising their exceptional talent and sportsmanship. This shaped the idea of the Thomas Keller Medal which was initiated by the Keller family following Thomi's passing in 1989 and was first awarded to the great Norwegian oarsman Alf Hansen in 1990.
Each year, the winner is carefully selected by the Thomas Keller Medal committee, after a broad international nomination process, to ensure that the true values in which Thomi so strongly believed are represented in this award.
Find A full list of previous Thomas Keller Medallists below.
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Previous recipients of the Thomas Keller Medal are:
Alf Hansen (NOR)
Thomas Greiner (GER)
Yuri Pimenov (RUS)
Francesco Esposito (ITA)
Nikolai Pimenov (RUS)
Rolf Thorsen (NOR)
Giuseppe Abbagnale (ITA)
Carmine Abbagnale (ITA)
Jana Sorgers (GER)
Thomas Lange (GER)
Kerstin Koeppen (GER)
Roland Baar (GER)
Silken Laumann (CAN)
Kathleen Heddle (CAN)
Steve Redgrave (GBR)
Marnie McBean (CAN)
Peter Antonie (AUS)
Nico Rienks (NED)
Matthew Pinsent (GBR)
Agostino Abbagnale (ITA)
Mike McKay (AUS)
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