Background
Marcel Hacker was recruited for rowing in fall 1991 at a town fair in Magdeburg Germany. He was supposed to show his power. Marcel was connected to a club and advanced to the racing group. A beginning was set and together with his crewmates from Magdeburg Marcel finished second at the National Championships 1992. But his goal was to prove himself in the single sculls. 1994 he was the second fastest junior rower in Germany and was selected for the National Team. At the Junior World Championships in Munich Hacker won the Gold Medal in the Mens Quadrupple sculls. The biggest success up until then was the victory in the Junior Mens single sculls at the Junior World Championships in Poznan (POL) 1995. Hacker was the greatest Talent in his age category at that time.
In 1999 Marcel Hacker switched from a successful Mens Quadrupple sculls back to the single again. After his success at the National Team Trials his first breaktrough was the victory at the Henley Royal Regatta in Great Britain. Hacker won the Diamond sculls event and finished 10th at the World Championships in St. Chatherines (CAN). With this position he qualified the German Mens single for the Olympic Games in Sydney (AUS).
When Hacker raced for the medals in the 2000 Sydney Olmpic final it was one of the toughest field of competitors the Olympic Games have seen so far. The Olympic Champion from 1996 Xeno Müller, the three time world champion and World Besttime Holder Rob Waddell (NZL) and the Olympic Gold Medaillist Derek Porter (CAN) competed in this event. Hacker gave it a shot and finished 28 10th of a second behind the Silver Medal and finished third.
2002 Marcel Hacker finished an unbeaten season. He won at the National Team Trials, the international Wedau Regatta in Duisburg and all three World Cup events. On top Hacker finished first at the World Championships in Seville (ESP) in a new Worldbesttime of 6:36,33.
One year later in 2003 Hacker dominated the Mens single sculls at the World Cup at took away the Overall World Cup Victory. At the World Championships in Milan Hacker had to satisfy himself with the Silver Medal.
The Olympic Season 2004 was interupted by an illness after a successful world cup season. Hacker could not fulfill his Olympic dream at had to be satisfied with the victory in the B-Final.
2005 the rhythm of the new Olympic cycle for the 2008 Beijing Olympics was set up. Marcel Hacker improved more and more throughout the season and with his new partner the Frankfurter Rudergesellschaft Germania and the Deutsche Bahn AG helped Hacker to get back on the road of success.
This partnership helps to face the upcoming challenges. Even though Hacker broke his finger in the pre- season Training process he finished second at the first World Cup Event in Eton 2005. Hacker won the second World Cup at his Home Regatta in Munich and finished fourth at the World Cup Final in Lucerne at the Rotsee. With these results Hacker finished second in the Overall World Cup in the Mens single. After winning the heat he went straight through to the semi-final and finished the A Final. Without any comment, Hacker finished the race.
In 2006 Hacker started his season at the International Wedau Regatta in Duisburg. Here he finished first ahead of the Slovenian sculler Itztok Cop. At the first World Cup in Munich Marcel raced hard but the new sculler Allan Campell finished first ahead of Hacker. In Poland Hacker finished third and after the regatta he had to undergo surgery because of a hernia. He missed the World Cup Final in Lucerne and came back at the World Championships in Eton. In the final Hacker underbid his own personal world besttime but in the last stroke rower from New Zealand slipped away with the Gold Medal and Hacker finished second, 30cm behind.
