Rowing Science

“Volker Nolte’s work provides a legacy for every rower, researcher, and sport leader. It records the connection of theory to practice that lays the foundation for advances in rowing and in sport in general. In Rowing Science, Nolte and some of the world’s top sport scientists have come together to offer this one-of-a-kind resource for people interested in improving rowing performance and optimizing results at all levels.”-Cam Kiosoglous, PhD, National Team Sport Science Director for US Rowing

Volker Nolte, PhD, is a professor emeritus of the University of Western Ontario, where he taught biomechanics and coaching (1993-2019) and also was the head rowing coach (1993-2017). Nolte’s leadership has led Western University Mustangs men’s rowing team to 14 Ontario University Athletics Championships and six Canadian University Rowing Championships. Since he took over the women’s team in 2010, they have won five Ontario University Athletics Championships and four Canadian University Rowing Championships. In 2008, the men’s eight won the German University Championships, the Temple Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta (against 74 other crews from around the world), and the Canadian University Rowing Championships. In 2013 and again in 2015, Nolte’s Mustang teams swept all university events in Canada, winning the Ontario and Canadian Rowing Championships in the women’s and men’s divisions. In 2016, the Western University team not only won both Ontario University Athletics Championships (women’s and men’s), as well as the Canadian University Rowing Championships for women, but also won two gold medals at the Head of the Charles Regatta.

In addition, Nolte was the lightweight men’s national team coach with the German Rowing Association from 1984 to 1990 and with Rowing Canada Aviron from 1992 to 2000. His crews won an Olympic silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games, two world championship titles in 1993 and 2000, and several more medals at world championships. His latest successes with the Canadian national team were bronze silver medals at the 2012 and 2013 U23 World Championships in the women’s single. In 2015-2016 he again coached the Canadian women’s single, this time to two Pan Am Games gold medals, a first place at the FISA World Cup in Italy, a sixth place at the World Championships 2015, and a 10th place at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

Nolte received undergraduate degrees in both physical education (1976) and civil engineering (1979) from the University of SaarbrÜcken and a PhD in biomechanics (1984) from the German Sport University in Cologne, Germany. He is an internationally acknowledged expert in biomechanics and coaching, and he presents frequently at scientific and coach education conferences worldwide. His research includes biomechanics of high-performance sport and coaching. He is also a distinguished researcher in the field of sport equipment, and his innovations range from special measurement tools to new boat designs. His research has produced many papers in refereed journals, articles in various publications, and several books.

For his work in coach education, he received the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in January 2013. For his outstanding success as a coach, he was named Ontario Coach of the Year in 1993 and again in 2014. Finally, Row Ontario presented Nolte with the President’s Award in 2017, and Rowing Canada Aviron honored him with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 to recognize his achievements in many areas of rowing.

Nolte is an experienced rower, representing his home country of Germany at several world championships. He is still a keen competitor in the Masters events.

Nolte lives in London, Ontario.