André Emil Simsch Flores Rows for National and International Wins
Rising rowing star André Emil Simsch Flores dominates CONADE Nationals with 3 golds and 1 silver. The 22-year-old aims for Under-23 Worlds and dreams of Olympic glory, finding his passion on the water after switching from swimming.
After the rowing activities at the CONADE Nationals, Mexico City's representative, André Emil Simsch Flores, won three gold medals and one silver medal, to help his delegation take home the title in this discipline at these Games. Simsch was crowned in the Under-24 individual 500m debut event, in a photo finish that he won by one second.
“The truth is that I did very well in these Nationals, I feel very happy because it is the effort of the whole year, and it is paying off. Today's competition was very tough, but eventually, I was able to win, and I am very happy about that. Before this race did not exist, it was 4 kilometers or a long distance, but now it has changed to 500 meters and I think it is more exciting for the public,” he said.
He won gold in individual 2,000 meters, in the double setting track record, individual 500m and silver in the quadruple.
“I started rowing when I was 12 years old, I used to swim, but due to logistic problems my parents could not take me, so I tried to get another sport and I ended up here at the Cuemanco Olympic Track and I got into rowing, from the first time I went rowing I liked it”.
André Emil made the sport a way of life. “I was 13 years old in my first National Olympics, the first medal I won was silver; now I have around 18 medals from CONADE Nationals, but my first gold in individual was in 2019.”
The capital who owes his surname to his father's German origin, highlighted: “For me, the track is like my second home and rowing is part of my life. If everything goes well, my expectation is to go in August to the Under-23 World Championship in Canada and in the future to be selected to go to the Central American, Pan American and Olympic Games, my dream is to be there and win a medal”.
In his record, the 22-year-old athlete already has important international achievements.
“I had the opportunity to compete in Lima 2019, I went in the double, it did not go so well, but I gained experience; last year I went to a South American in my category and won silver and months later I won the bronze medal in the quadruple in the Pan American Games of Santiago 2023; in May I was in a competition in Switzerland, looking for the Olympic ticket, it could not be achieved, but we will work on that goal in this cycle,” he concluded.
André Emil Simsch Flores embodies sportsmanship win or lose, aiming for future glory. Credit: CONADE
