Thomas Zereske

Career

Competing in three Summer Olympics, Zereske earned his best finish of fifth place three times (C-1 500 m: 1996 for Germany, C-2 500 m: 1988 for East Germany, 2000 for Germany). Zereske earnd a German national championship in the C-2 500 m event in 1997. After Zereske retired from canoeing, he became a coach of the German Dragon Boat racing national team

The 2003 silvers were in the men"s 500 m and women"s 500 m events.

A native of Neubrandenburg, Zereske died of leukemia in 2004. Zereske had only been diagnosed with leukemia five days prior to his death.

Achievements

• Zereske won ten medals at the International Coach Federation Canoe Sprint World Championships with two gold medals (C-2 200 m: 1997, 1998), three silver medals (C-1 200 m: 1995, C-1 500 m: 1990, C-2 200 m: 1990), and five bronze medals (C-1 1000 m: 1990, C-2 200 m: 1999, C-2 500 m: 1997, 1998. C-4 500 m: 1991). As the German national championships, Zereske won two C-1 200 m, three C-2 200 m, and four C-4 200 m titles. He also won national championship in C-1 500 m three times and C-1 10000 m once. As a coach, his teams won a complete set of medals in 2002 with a gold in the women"s 500 m, a silver in the men"s 500 m, and a bronze in the men"s 250 m. And two silver medals in 2003. After Gille and his current teammate won the gold in the C-2 1000 m event at those games, Gille dedicated the medal to his fallen teammate.