Date of birth: 26 Dec 1977

Age on Race day: 27

Born in: Berlin

Home town: Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA

Nationality: German/American

Club: CUBC

College: St Catharine’s College

Course: PhD Internaional Studies (enrolled in 2002 for 3 years)

Previous Uni: Harvard

School: McCallie School

Height: 6’5’

Weight: 98kg

Boat: Blue Boat

<B> Boat position:<B/> 4

Coach: Robin Williams

Personal bio:

Vice President of Cambridge in 2004/5. Matriculated in 2002 with an MPhil in European Studies, staying on for a PhD in International Relations which is on track to be completed in 2006. Member of the winning Cambridge Blue Boat crew in 2004 also a winner with Goldie in 2003. Graduated from Harvard in 2000 with a BA in Social Studies. Rowed at Harvard and was three times a winner of the Harvard v Yale Race. Worked for two years with Deutsche Bank IB in New York, Baltimore and London. Father (Hartmut) was a successful rower who went on to coach the East German women’s eight that won an Olympic gold in 1988. He then coached the US women’s team from 1992-2000, his crews medalling every year at the Worlds and Olympic Games. Steffen’s mother (Christine) sculled for the East German national team in the late 1970s and his sister (Ulrike) graduated from Stanford in 2003 and coached rowing at St. Paul’s School, London, while teaching English for a year. Steffen thanks the Downing family for their support and generous hospitality.