Polydore Jules Léon Veirman (23 February 1881 – 1951) was a Belgian

rower Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is ...

who won two Olympic silver medals: in 1908 in the

coxed eight An eight is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing (crew). It is designed for eight rowers, who propel the boat with sweep oars, and is steered by a coxswain, or "cox". Each of the eight rowers has one oar. The rowers, who sit i ...

, and in 1912 in the

single scull A single scull (or a scull) is a rowing boat designed for a single person who propels the boat with two oars, one in each hand. Racing boats (often called "shells") are long, narrow, and broadly semi-circular in cross-section in order to mini ...

. Between 1901 and 1912 Veirman won four gold and three silver medals in various events at European championships. He was assured another medal at the 1913 European Rowing Championships as of the four single scull finalists,

Giuseppe Sinigaglia Giuseppe Sinigaglia (28 January 1884 – 10 August 1916) was an Italian rower. He won the Diamond Challenge Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta and eight medals at the European championships of 1906–1913 in various rowing events. He died of wound ...

and Anatol Peresselenzeff were disqualified. Competing against only one other rower, Veirman capsized and Friedrich Graf was the only one to reach the finish line.

References

1881 births Belgian male rowers Olympic rowers for Belgium Olympic silver medalists for Belgium Rowers at the 1908 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 1912 Summer Olympics Flemish sportspeople 1951 deaths Olympic medalists in rowing Medalists at the 1912 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1908 Summer Olympics Rowers from Ghent European Rowing Championships medalists {{Belgium-rowing-bio-stub