Interview mit Carina Bär: A fast five minutes with Germany's Carina Baer...

Carina Baer of Germany is only 21, and yet she already has an impressive collection of medals: a junior World Championship title in the single, two world under-23 medals, a silver from the European Rowing Championships, and a 2010 World Championship medal (bronze) from racing in the women’s quadruple sculls in Karapiro. More recently, in Bled, Slovenia, she qualified Germany’s women’s double sculls for the 2012 Olympic Games. World Rowing met up with this budding champion to see what she had to say about rowing and life in general.

I row because… I like the combination of the sport and the people around it. Also, I like travelling around the world and seeing how far I can push myself.

My favourite boat to row is… All boats have their challenges but it is sometimes easier to give your all when you are part of a team.

My goal in rowing… is to give my best in important races.

On the erg I listen to… news programmes on the radio, because I sometimes feel too isolated in between rowing and studying. It sometimes feels like a very small world.

My favourite music is… a mix of everything, but I have a winning hymn: Ode an die Freude (Ode to Joy) from Beethoven.

My least favourite training session is… in the winter, when I have to go twice a day on the erg and do long weightlifting series.

My favourite training session is… soccer.

2k or 5k on the ergo? Definitely 2k

My toughest race… was in the final of the World Cup in Munich last year (2010). We punched out of the start in the quad because we knew it was our only chance against Great Britain. They always got closer and I cannot remember the last 100m. It was my first big international race in the quad and felt I had to pull as hard as I could (the German quad won gold).

I’m most relaxed… immediately after a race. Generally it’s at home or when I’m with my boyfriend.

A typical day… I don’t really have a typical day. It’s actually different every day because I have to be at university and arrange my training sessions around my study schedule.

I study… medicine and had my first exams in August.

In 10 years’ time I… will be a doctor, confident, settled down, will have stopped rowing, maybe have a child if I found the ‘right one’.

I’m annoyed when… I know I could have done better if I had concentrated better, or when people don’t want to understand someone else’s opinions.

My favourite TV programme is… I don’t watch TV, I sleep instead.

My favourite movie star is… I have a favourite movie star but I can’t remember his name ;-)

My favourite book is... I have lots of favourite books and just to name two: “Das Parfum” (The Perfume) from Patrick Süskind, or “Die Säulen der Erde” (The Pillars of the Earth) from Ken Follett.

I’m afraid of… what mankind is doing to the environment.