Lode Lemmelijn won the Flemish indoor title in Ghent on Saturday. “I dream of going to the 2028 Games in Los Angeles with my brother.” — © rr
Rowing Open Flemish Rowing Championships
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He is now mainly known to the wider public from ‘Kamp Waes’, but Lode Lemmelijn naturally remains an excellent rower. In the absence of his brother Ward, the 24-year-old Tienen native took victory at the Open Flemish indoor rowing championships on Saturday. Lemmelelijn junior was the only athlete who dipped below the magical six-minute limit.
The native of Tienen thus left several top rowers from Ghent, including two bronze medalists at the U23 European Championships, more than ten seconds behind him. “It’s nice to be faster on a rowing ergometer than those European medal winners,” says Lemmelijn, who at the same time realizes that the rowing association looks further than just the physical. “The past seasons have taught us that indoor performances are not really appreciated. To reach the national selections, performance on the water counts first. So they don’t look at the physical capabilities that you can show on such a rowing machine. You would think that a national committee would have an eye for athletes with exceptional physical qualities and then provide them with the technical tools to make maximum use of those physical qualities in the boat.”
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Lemmelijn mainly refers to his brother Ward, who has already left several top Belgian rowers behind him in single sculls. “Due to a lack of technique, Ward, who, like me, only started rowing at a later age, cannot give his full effort on a choppy water surface and is defeated by his opponents. Instead of teaching Ward the tricks of the trade and providing maximum support, he is left aside from the selection and has to figure out how to improve technically.”
Going to the Games as a brotherly couple?
However, the Lemmelijn brothers do not just let people walk all over them and are working on their own plan. “In recent seasons I mainly focused on my studies and starting up as an independent physiotherapist. Now that everything is on track, I want to focus on rowing again. I want to master the tricks of the trade in the Antwerp Rowing Club. After 2024, the intention would be to form a double sculls or a coxless sculls with Ward. We hope to be able to call on some expert coaches who can quickly teach us the technical secrets of rowing. If this is successful, we will resolutely opt for participation in the Los Angeles 2028 Games.”
Lemmelijn realizes that he and his brother are still diamonds in the rough. “They would like to be sharpened. (laughs) Hopefully that happens soon. In recent months I was fortunate that the management staff at Camp Waes were looking for a rower and came to me for that. The preparation and course of Camp Waes have given me experiences that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Learning to work in a team in stressful situations, encountering yourself by being confronted with your strengths and weaknesses, the enormous satisfaction you get from such participation… It has given me an enormous boost as an individual in all areas. I did this all by myself and maybe I will now be freed from the thing that Lode is the brother of… Maybe it has now become clear to some people that I also have qualities and am willing to work hard. I feel ready to get on the boat with Ward and fully commit to that new project, the 2028 Games. All help and support are more than ever welcome.”
To the World Cup together
The Lemmelijn brothers will first take on another challenge in the short term. “On February 23 and 24 we will go to Prague to participate in the World Indoor Rowing Championships. Ward defends his title of vice world champion and I aim to improve my personal best time. If I succeed, perhaps a nice place of honor will beckon.”