Christian Gille
Encyclopedia
Christian Gille (born 6 January 1979 in Wolfen
) is a German
flatwater canoer
who has competed since the mid 1990s.
A junior world champion (C-4 1000 m) in 1993, he won two senior world championship gold medals with Thomas Zereske
in the C-2 200 m sprint in 1997 and 1998
. They also competed at the Sydney Olympics
in 2000, placing fifth in the C-2 500 m final.
In 2002
Gille won the only C-1 world championship medal of his career. He crossed the line in fourth place in the C-1 200 m final in Seville
, Spain, but was later awarded the bronze medal after Ukrainian Dmytro Sablin tested positive for cannabis
. Of more significance for the future however was the formation that year of a new C-2 partnership with 19-year-old Tomasz Wylenzek
. They finished third in the European Championships and seventh in the C-2 500 m in Seville.
Two years later they won a surprise gold medal in the C-2 1000m
. Gille wore a black armband in memory of his former partner Thomas Zereske who had died earlier that summer.
In 2005 Gille and Wylenzek completely dominated the C-2 event. A clean sweep of medals (200 m, 500 m and 1000 m) at the European Championships in Poznań
, Poland, in May was followed by two golds (500m and 1000m) at the World Championships in Zagreb
.
2006 proved a disappointment after the highs of the previous two years. Replaced by Stefan Holtz
and Robert Nuck
as Germany's C-2 500 m representatives, they were therefore unable to defend their European and world titles over that distance. They also lost their other titles in competition, coming away with just two silver medals at the major championships (European C-2 1000 m and world C-2 200 m), compared with the five golds of 2005.
Gille won two more Olympic medals at Beijing
in 2008
with a silver in the C-2 1000 m and a bronze in the C-2 500 m events.
Gille is a member of the Leipzig
club. He is tall and weighs 87 kilograms (191.8 lb).
Wolfen, Germany
Wolfen is a town in the district Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2007 it is part of the town Bitterfeld-Wolfen. It is situated approximately 6 kilometres northwest of Bitterfeld, and 20 kilometres south of Dessau....
) is a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
flatwater canoer
Canoe racing
This article discusses canoe sprint and canoe marathon, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking on more or less flat water. Both sports are governed by the International Canoe Federation ....
who has competed since the mid 1990s.
A junior world champion (C-4 1000 m) in 1993, he won two senior world championship gold medals with Thomas Zereske
Thomas Zereske
Thomas Zereske is a German, originally East German, sprint canoer who competed from 1988 to 2000.-Sporting career:...
in the C-2 200 m sprint in 1997 and 1998
1998 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 1998 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Szeged, Hungary.The men's competition consisted of nine Canadian and nine kayak events. Women competed in eight events, all in kayak....
. They also competed at the Sydney Olympics
Canoeing at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Canoeing at the 2000 Summer Olympics was held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre for the sprint events and the Whitewater Stadium in Penrith for the canoe and kayak slalom disciplines. The repechage rounds that ran from the 1960 to the 1996 Games were eliminated in the sprint events while...
in 2000, placing fifth in the C-2 500 m final.
In 2002
2002 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 2002 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Seville, Spain.The men's competition consisted of nine Canadian and nine kayak events...
Gille won the only C-1 world championship medal of his career. He crossed the line in fourth place in the C-1 200 m final in Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, Spain, but was later awarded the bronze medal after Ukrainian Dmytro Sablin tested positive for cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
. Of more significance for the future however was the formation that year of a new C-2 partnership with 19-year-old Tomasz Wylenzek
Tomasz Wylenzek
Tomasz Wylenzek is a German sprint canoer who has competed since the early 2000s....
. They finished third in the European Championships and seventh in the C-2 500 m in Seville.
Two years later they won a surprise gold medal in the C-2 1000m
Canoeing at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's C-2 1000 metres
These are the results of the men's C-2 1000 metres competition in canoeing at the 2004 Summer Olympics. The C-2 event is raced by two-man sprint canoes.-Medalists:-Heats:...
. Gille wore a black armband in memory of his former partner Thomas Zereske who had died earlier that summer.
In 2005 Gille and Wylenzek completely dominated the C-2 event. A clean sweep of medals (200 m, 500 m and 1000 m) at the European Championships in Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, Poland, in May was followed by two golds (500m and 1000m) at the World Championships in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
.
2006 proved a disappointment after the highs of the previous two years. Replaced by Stefan Holtz
Stefan Holtz
Stefan Holtz is a German sprint canoer who has competed since 2004. He won seven medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with two golds , three silvers , and two bronzes .-References:***...
and Robert Nuck
Robert Nuck
Robert Nuck is a German sprint canoer who has competed since 2004. He won seven medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with two golds , three silvers , and two bronzes .-References:***...
as Germany's C-2 500 m representatives, they were therefore unable to defend their European and world titles over that distance. They also lost their other titles in competition, coming away with just two silver medals at the major championships (European C-2 1000 m and world C-2 200 m), compared with the five golds of 2005.
Gille won two more Olympic medals at Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
in 2008
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
with a silver in the C-2 1000 m and a bronze in the C-2 500 m events.
Gille is a member of the Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
club. He is tall and weighs 87 kilograms (191.8 lb).