Sudden death
Rowing coach dies during training session on Lake Sarnen
Robin Dowell, 40, coaches rower Jeannine Gmelin. For reasons that are still unclear, he died on Friday during a training session on Lake Sarnen, which he accompanied on the motor boat. That writes Gmelins Sportmanagement in a message.
«Robin was more than a first-class coach for me. He was a friend, a great person and the reason I became the athlete I am.” With these words, the skiff world champion of 2017, Jeannine Gmelin, is quoted in the message.
Robin Dowell at a training session in Sarnen in 2017.
How exactly her trainer died is not known, as PilatusToday writes. According to Swiss Rowing, this is “the subject of investigations by forensic medicine”. A corresponding autopsy is to be carried out in the coming days.
According to the announcement, Christian Stofer, Director of Swiss Rowing, is also shocked by the death of Robin Dowell: “We mourn the loss of our former work colleague and head coach.”
The Brit Dowell had developed into a sought-following coach in his home country following his own career was slowed down by injuries, it is said. He joined Swiss Rowing as head coach in 2017. Previously, he was a youth head coach at British Rowing for several years.
Rower Jeannine Gmelin.
As Swiss Rowing writes, Gmelin and Dowell were “an excellently coordinated team”. As a private project trainer, Robin Dowell recently concentrated exclusively on coaching Gmelin.
Under him, Gmelin achieved, among other things, the world championship title at the World Championships in Sarasota (USA). (red./lga)
