With less than 21 days left before the much-anticipated Tokyo Olympic Games take centre stage in Japan, Namibian rower Maike Diekmann says she is ready to represent the country to the fullest.

Diekmann booked her spot to the Olympics in 2019 after winning the Olympic Qualification Regatta in Tunisia, where she dominated proceedings and became the first Namibian athlete to qualify for the 2020 Olympics. In a recent interview with this publication, the rower said she has been participating in various rowing competitions around the world to test her readiness for the games that will commence on 23 July and end on 8 August 2021. 

“I have had great preparations in the past few weeks. I was in Italy recently, where I was competing in one of the competitions in that country. I had some great racing and great results,” she told New Era.

“The experience itself was worth a lot, and I needed some extra racing, especially amid the ongoing Covid-19 where competitions are rare. So, it’s great to go out there and test the speed.”

Diekmann added that Covid-19 has had a huge impact on her. “For me, Covid-19 has affected me in different ways – both physically and mentally. Changing training venues as well as having to deal with the uncertainty surrounding the hosting of the Olympic Games. So, all those things played a role in my preparations and I had to know how to completely digest information.” Despite all the uncertainty, she believes most of the athletes have overcome the situation. “I think all of us as athletes have come out strong and very excited to the final line-up for our country, and do what we have been practising the whole time.”  - mkambukwe@nepc.com.na