XXVIIth Olympics September 2000 |
Christopher Dodd reports from Penrith Lakes especially for the Rowing Service |
Eight and quad storm into finals
Let's hear it for the eight. And let's hear it for the quad. On a fourth day
little breeze, strong sunshine, blue skies and Olympic expectation on the lake
out west in Penrith, a glorious amphitheatre for a regatta, two British crews
enhanced their medal prospects in style.
Not since 1912 has a British eight won an Olympic or world title. That is the
statistic that Lindsay and Hunt-Davis, Dennis and Attrill, Grubor and West,
Scarlett and Trapmore and coxswain Douglas are trying to put an end to. After
Wednesday's reps they are more firmly in the medal frame than the world
champions who piped them at St Catharines last year, the Americans.
The British qualified by taking clear water at 750 and never letting the
chasing Italians make much impression. The Russians in third made little and,
sadly, the Dutch with Niko Rienks still occupying the stroke seat that he sat
in for Olympic victory in Atlanta four years ago, making none at all.
The main point is that the Yanks were in a photo-finish with the Romanians
which perhaps both could have done without, by the time that it was clear that
the Canadians were not going to catch either of them. The verdict went to the
ragged looking Americans by one fiftieth [2/100ths] of a second, but in a time
five seconds slower than the unchallenged Brits. The final line-up is Australia
and Croatia as heat winners, GB and US as rep winners, and Italy and Romania as
rep runners up.
Asked to describe the difference between their heat and rep, a representative
of the British eight told reporters: "Well, we came second in the heat, and
first in the rep." I will spare you further banalities: at any given moment in
Sydney some bushy-tailed competitor is saying "My plan is to go out and
row/jump/run/cycle/ride my own race," or "At the end of the day/when push comes
to shove, I am here to do my best."
The answer to the question is that they got a better start in the rep, they
think they rated a bit higher and rowed a more aggressive race, in keeping with
their approach, and that of their coach, Martin McElroy, to "power off the
start and try and maintain power and length" (Hunt-Davis). Louis Attrill said
that he's been around the eight for four years and never once has he heard the
word "stride". So there.
Anyway, all the best for a good one on Sunday, and likewise to Guin, Gillian,
Katherine and Miriam who sculled like a picture in only their second race
together since Gillian Lindsay took the 2 seat after Sarah Winckless's rib
bounced her into the double. The elder Batten sister, Miriam, in her last year
after 15 on the team, said that Lindsay brought a lot to the crew, including
racing experience (and her presence makes it a truly 50-50 Anglo Scottish
boat). They beat the other qualifiers in their rep, Denmark, by the same margin
of 5 seconds as the other rep winners Ukraine earlier in the regatta.
This makes the final pecking order Germany (Olympic winners since the
introduction of the 4x for women in 1988), the other outright heat winner
Russia, and then Ukraine and GB with nothing to choose. Denmark and the US also
start on Sunday. "We can give it our absolute all, maybe more than we know
we're capable of," Grainger in the No 3 seat says. Here's hoping they will.
The GB women's eight, not unexpectedly, were eliminated, finishing fifth in a
repechage from which four boats qualified for the final. Never mind, eh? It is
a great shame that they did not get a shot at the final, but their brave
attempt and the support afforded them by coach Miles Forbes-Thomas, Thames RC
and a clutch of other clubs and well-wishers has proved a point.
Tom Kay and Tom Middleton missed a place in Friday's semi-finals of the
lightweight double sculls when they finished third to the 1996 Olympic
champions Markus and Michael Gier of Switzerland and the Greeks Vasileios
Polymeros and Panagiotis Mikliotis. This crew did well considering that
Middleton came into it recently when Tim Male was injured at the Gold Coast
training camp.
Now for a trip to Bondi Beach and the beach volleyball. On the other hand, this
may have to be delayed because I hear there are some tasty races on Thursday.
For your edification and interest, I give you Available Outcomes win-only odds
on gold medals for a selection of crews:
Men's coxless fours (in semi on Thursday): GB A$1.50, Italy 3.25, Oz and NZ
7.00, France 13.00.
Copyright Christopher Dodd 2000
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