Ronald Rauhe

Ronald Rauhe is a highly decorated German sprint canoeist, recognized for his exceptional longevity as the first man to medal in canoe sprint at five Olympic Games. His international career began with his selection for the 1997 World Junior Championships in Lahti, Finland, where he earned a gold medal in the K-4 500m and a silver in the K-1 500m. This early success continued at the subsequent World Junior Championships in Zagreb, where he secured an additional three gold medals. Rauhe made his senior national team debut in 1999, immediately achieving a bronze medal in the K-1 200m World Championship final.

His formidable partnership with Tim Wieskötter, commencing in 2000, led to significant achievements, including six world titles and an Olympic gold medal in the K-2 500m event at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Rauhe also demonstrated individual dominance in the K-1 200m sprint, capturing three consecutive world and European golds during this period. After a brief setback in 2005, he returned to top form in 2006, winning three gold medals at both the European Championships and the World Championships in Ra?ice and Szeged, respectively. In 2007, he added a K-2 200m title and a second-place finish in the K-2 500m at the World Championships.

He continued his Olympic medal streak at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, securing a bronze medal in the K-1 200 metres, where he matched Saúl Craviotto’s time. Rauhe’s final Olympic gold medal was achieved at the Tokyo 2020 Games in the K-4 500m event. Following the Tokyo Olympics, he officially retired from competitive sport, leaving behind a legacy that includes 16 World Championship gold medals, the most among male kayakers. His career total of 26 World medals surpassed his compatriot Torsten Gutsche’s previous record of 20 in 2011.