Worldrowing201212 DL

Issue 23 December 2012
TOP ROWERS We want to become Olympic Champions Argentinas mens double sculls p. 3 Positively Fie p. 5 Australias promising rowing star JoshuaDunkley-Smith p. 7 PHOTO FEATURE 2012 Photo Highlights FEATURES Opportunities and limits to rowing faster p. 15 p. 10
Have fun, aim high the illustrious career of Di Ellis p. 18 OLYMPIC GAMES The on-going rise of NewZealand Rowing That grey area of rowing retirement COACHING p. 20 p. 24
Personalities, passion and perseverance
Olympic aftermath the dance of the coaches DEVELOPMENT How Issaka got to row at theOlympics UNIVERSITY ROWING
p. 27
Rowings elite personalities p. 29
p. 33
For students, by students Norwegian university rowing p. 35 ENVIRONMENT

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We want to become olympic Champions argentinas mens double sculls

Following a spectacular fourth place in the highly competitive olympic mens double final, argentinas top male rowers, Cristian rosso and ariel suarez are on a high and already taking the first steps along the road to the rio 2016 olympic games. World Rowing spoke to the double about their journey together, the impact of their success at the 2012 Olympic Games in Argentina and their training habits as they get back into the swing of rowing once more. Rosso, 28, and Suarez, 32, first rowed together internationally at the 2007 World Rowing Championships in a mens quadruple sculls which just missed out on Olympic qualification for the 2008 Olympic Games. After a stint in the single sculls for both scullers, during which time they finished first and second in national testing, the double was the next step forward. The duo made their international debut in the mens double sculls in 2010 at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne, Switzerland before racing at the 2010 World Rowing Championships in Karapiro, NewZealand, where they finished tenth. In 2011, the partnership won their first international medal together at the Samsung World Rowing Cup II in Hamburg, Germany, finishing second to the Kiwi double of Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan who would eventually go on to become World Champions in 2011 and Olympic Champions in 2012. In finishing ninth at the 2011 World Rowing Championships and thus qualifying for Games, the Argentinean journey to the London Olympic Rowing Regatta was cemented. Yet, it was not plain sailing from the start. Rosso laughs when he recalls their first training session together: It was not good at all! The first time, Ariel was in the stroke seat and I was at bow, but in the middle of the training session we stopped and changed. Then it started to get better An increasing level of performance at each Samsung World Rowing Cup Regatta, culminating in a sixth place in Munich, Germany, saw the Argentinean duo enter the Olympic regatta with quiet confidence, yet modest aims. Our fourth place was a total shock to all. Everyone back home believed we would make the top ten places, but only a few believed we would make the A-Final and be so close to the medals, Rosso states. >
Ariel Suarez (b) and CristianRosso (s) of Argentina celebrating their win in the semifinal of the mens double sculls at the 2012 Olympic Rowing Regatta at Eton Dorney near London, Great Britain.
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> We want to become olympic Champions argentinas mens double sculls I started rowing when I was 20 years old, Suarez tells us. I was training at a bodybuilding gym, as I used to every day since I was 15 years old. A rowing trainer saw me and invited me to start rowing. Itried it and liked it a lot. At that moment Ichose rowing and one year later I was representing the Argentinean rowing team. Both men plan to continue rowing and aim to race together at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. This time, they are aiming for the top. We want to be Olympic Champions. It is very difficult, but we will try! Rosso exclaims. So what makes this duo tick off the water? For Suarez, life is all about rowing and his family. When not training himself, he coaches rowing at his club in Rio de Janeiro, the Vasco de Gama, and enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter. After rowing, Suarez aims to be a successful rowing coach. Rosso is a lawyer, yet for the moment, rowing takes priority and he hopes to still be competing in years to come. So what of Olympic legacy? With Argentina emerging as a stronger nation in rowing, these men understand their results have had an impact. We think that is great motivation for Argentinean rowers, because we are not different, we are just two rowers that like to train and now everyone has realised that getting a good result is possible, states Rosso. Suarez, who hopes to coach in the future, believes: we would say that is very important to enjoy what you do and if you really want it, with hard work you can achieve good results.
Laura Fell
> For both Suarez and Rosso the Olympic Games were spectacular and the highlight of their rowing career to date, despite claiming the Olympic final was the toughest race theyve ever had. It was the most impressed Ive ever been in my life, Suarez comments. I still cannot believe all the spectators at the rowing course, the organisation and security, and the spectacular Olympic Village. Rosso agrees: For me the Olympics were spectacular, firstly because of our fourth place, and then because of how great the whole event was, the public, the city of London everything was amazing. For Rosso, rowing was a part of growing up and he made his international debut as an under-23 rower in 2006 in the mens single sculls. His father, who rowed when he was younger, introduced his son to the sport who instantly loved it. I started rowing when I was 14 years old. At the time I used to practice all kinds of sports. I liked rowing so much when I tried it that I left all other sports and I have only rowed to this day. I chose rowing because it is a very complete sport, it is done outdoors, you can improve all the time and it is not easy. Meanwhile, Suarez did not come to the sport until he was older and experienced a rapid progression from novice to international rower, making his international debut aged 21 at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships in 2001.
Ariel Suarez (b) and CristianRosso (s) of Argentina racing in the mens double sculls at the 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup II in Lucerne, Switzerland.
2012 Martin Rose/Getty Images
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Positively Fie
almost four months have passed since the 2012 olympic games. it is now time for reflection. Fie udby erichsen, denmarks 2012 olympic silver medallist in the womens single sculls, speaks to World rowing from Copenhagen with a distinct honesty and enthusiasm about her past, present and future in the sport she loves. For many, after the line-up of the Olympic final in the herself and to what level she could succeed. In womens single had been decided, the success of Fie 2000, at age15, Erichsen was paired with Udby Erichsen seemed to be an overnight success JohanneThomsen in story. Who is she?, Where has she come from? the junior womens people wondered. The reality is that her success double sculls. The duo raced to a bronze medal did not happen overnight her international rowing at the World Rowing Junior Championships in career had started in 2000, at junior level. Zagreb, Croatia. Although she did not know she would become an Olympic medallist in 12 years Erichsens first introduction to the sport took time, she knew she wanted to become one. place in 1996, after the Atlanta Games when a radio interview caught the attention of the then The Danish rowing system has created a legacy 11-year-old. Hearing how Denmarks lightweight over the past years, particularly in lightweight four had taken gold at the Games struck a chord: mens rowing. Their values of hard work, balance I want to try that! she thought. And so she did, and knowledge transfer is central to the systems joining the local rowing club in her hometown of success. But Erichsen started training seriously at a Hobro in northern Denmark. time when many of Denmarks experienced female rowers were moving on and so she started from Showing immediate talent, she set the 2,000m scratch. Having the knowledge from the guys is world record in the age 12 and under category. great, she says, but I dont go rowing with them. Iwon my first ever international race (on the Spending time in a variety of boats has taught her water) when I was 14, racing against girls who many positive lessons. I used to lose concentration were years older than me, Erichsen recalls. This in long paddling sessions in my single and so wasnt was an amazing feeling and one which acted as getting the full benefit from them. When I went into somewhat of a turning point for the young rower. crew boats I realised I had to row well every stroke She then wanted to see how far she could push for the crew, Erichsen explains. When she went
back into the single her experiences had brought her a new confidence. There are some days when Idont feel as though Ican do a long 16km paddle so I will swap it with the following days training and do some hard-core pieces. Its about knowing whats right for you, she says. It has taken her a long time to learn many of these lessons but she certainly doesnt feel it has been time wasted. It may have taken me a long time to learn a lot of what I know now, but I hope Ican teach it to the younger athletes in our team so they can improve at a quicker rate and so that we will be able to build our womens heavyweight team to more than just a womens single for Rio, she says. The single has been Erichsens home consistently since 2010, after having initially focused >
Fie Udby Erichsen of Denmark celebrating her Olympic quarterfinal win at Eton Dorney.
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> Positively Fie fourth I would still be happy, she says. Erichsen had worked very closely with coach Mads Haubro, himself a former rower, and as a team they made great progress. The race plan they set remained Erichsens sole focus during the final. Of course its hard not to notice what others around you are doing, but my concentration was on rowing the perfect stroke every time, she explains. Crossing the finish line she added Olympic silver to the gold and bronze Denmarks small team of rowers had already collected at Eton Dorney. Has life changed for the 27-year-old Dane now that she has joined the elite club of Olympic medallists? Nope! she laughs, but I didnt want it to either. I loved my life before! After London, Erichsen was invited to the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, USA, to take part in the womens Super Eight, an experience she really enjoyed. When I go to regattas I go to race and so this was a great experience because I got to be social with my competitors to know them as people. She also raced a quad at the Danish Rowing Championships with three former Danish Olympic rowers. Erichsens future looks bright. She will take a break from rowing in 2013 to have her first baby but plans to come back and form part of a bigger Danish womens team at the 2016 Olympic Games with a group of young athletes she has already begun to work with. The sky is the limit for the positively determined Dane.
Lisa Hayden
> on this boat class at junior and under-23 level. In 2010 she suffered a back injury that forced her withdrawal from the World Rowing Championships in Karapiro, New Zealand. Coming into the 2011 World Rowing Championships, where the majority of crews would qualify for the London Olympic Games, Erichsen expected that her less-than-perfect 2010 season would mean she would have to fight her way to the 2012 Games through another route the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta. The regatta of death as it is commonly known amongst athletes and coaches is undoubtedly the least enjoyable regatta any aspiring Olympic rower will ever face. Having failed to qualify for the Games in 2008 through the final qualification regatta she did not want to go through the ordeal again, but she did. I sat on the start line looking at the other girls thinking What are you doing here? They were all such talented rowers! But Erichsen proved to be amongst the best, taking the second of four available qualification places. Before Londons Olympic flame was lit there was already a special feeling amongst the Danish rowing athletes. A strong team spirit had developed between the team members during the 2012 season, Erichsen explains. Usually you just care about how youre doing yourself, but then everyone really cared about how everyone was doing. In London, Erichsen not only competed at her first Olympic Rowing Regatta, she also faced her first ever Olympic final. All I wanted to do was race my very best even if that meant finishing
Fie Udby Erichsen competing in the womens single sculls semifinal at the 2012 Olympic Rowing Regatta.
2012 Olympic medallists in the womens single sculls: Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic (gold), Fie Udby Erichsen of Denmark (silver) KimCrow of Australia (bronze).
2012 Harry How/Getty Images
2012 Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
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Australias promising rowing star JoshuaDunkley-Smith

aged just 23, Joshua dunkley-smith is one of australias most promising rowing talents. dunkley-smith made his first appearance on the international rowing scene in 2009, when he finished fourth at the world under-23 level in the mens four. in 2010 he went one better, winning a bronze medal in the same event but at world senior level. after entering the senior team in 2010, dunkley-smith won his first senior medal at the World rowing Championships bronze in the mens four thereby qualifying australias priority boat for the london 2012 olympic games. In 2012, Dunkley-Smith was selected again into the four and placed in stroke seat, in front of rowing legend Drew Ginn, Will Lockwood and James Chapman. After experiencing a thrilling rivalry with Great Britain, the crew won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Rowing Regatta at Eton Dorney. Dunkley-Smith recalls how he felt: I was a little upset on the finish line. We had certainly put everything out there and challenged ourselves and our competition. We had set our sights on gold but in the end couldnt get there. It doesnt take away from our race at all. I was, and still am, very proud of our race and all the work we had done throughout the year. Seeing my family also helped put everything in perspective. Everyone is really proud and its great to be able to spend some time with them as well as thank all those who helped me to get to the Games. I can think of dozens of funny stories and memories from the season that make me smile or shake my head in wonder. unnoticed. Now I cant just duck in and do some training. Thats ok, because people get to have a connection to the Games through me, so that is important to recognise as well. The connection to the Games in Australia will be maintained next year as an international event heads downunder for the first time since the Describing himself as a pretty quiet guy, 2000 Olympic Games. The first 2013 Samsung Dunkley-Smith found the reaction amazing World Rowing Cup will be held in Sydney in when he returned home to Australia after the March 2013. For Dunkley-Smith, this presents Olympic Games. an exciting opportunity. I am very excited that Sydney will get to host a World Rowing Cup. Its a great course >
Everyone wanted to congratulate me, but Iprefer to slip in to my rowing club in Mercantile
The mens four crews of Australia and Great Britain battle to the line in their semifinal at the 2012 Olympic Rowing Regatta.
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> australias promising rowing star Joshua dunkley-smith

Igor Meijer/FISA
> with fantastic facilities. Plus, it is not often that younger Australian rowers get to witness international competition like the Europeans do. Nothing compares to the atmosphere of a busy boat park. The heavyweight sweep rower should be competing in a four or a pair at the World Rowing Cup but Dunkley-Smith is only just easing himself back into training after a well-earned rest following the Olympic Games. It takes some time to build up steam again! I am still enjoying it and it will be interesting to see who is around to row with. At the moment I am keen to keep learning and enjoying everything in the lead up to Rio where hopefully I can go one step better, says Dunkley-Smith.
Home advantage may help but we are so practised anyone can come from anywhere, particularly with our schedule around international travel that in the smaller boats, as there is no telling who The World Rowing Cup will be a unique festival it does not upset training for too long. Jet-lag can will be on form for the next four years. We have of rowing and the largest international rowing be a pain, but we usually deal with it pretty well. the talent to do quite well in a number of boats, event in Australia since the 2000 Olympic Games. Racing without that additional management will particularly small boats as seen in London where Elite, junior and school rowers will be catered be a welcome change. However, we also miss out the Australian team picked up five medals overall. for as the Samsung World Rowing Cup is staged on Italian pizza and Swiss chocolate so there will from 22 to 24 March, whilst the Australian Open be a trade-off. To anyone with an Olympic dream, I would say to Rowing Championships will run for five days prior follow it as far as you can. There are so many benefits to the elite event at the Sydney International For Dunkley-Smith, memories of racing as a to be gained from any level of sporting endeavour. Regatta Centre. Elite athletes from around the junior on the Sydney Regatta Course are close The most important traits in an Olympian or any world are welcome to compete in the Australia to his heart and he believes the regatta should successful individual is enjoyment and curiosity. Open Rowing Championships as a warm-up event demonstrate some up and coming rowers from You have to enjoy what you do because you will have and high-profile international schools have also around the country who could perhaps go on to to do a lot of it and you have to be curious because been invited to compete in the schools division. win Olympic medals in the future. you have to learn how to be better. Dunkley-Smith believes his rowing team will rise to the occasion, but is making sure nothing changes in his preparation, just because they are on home waters.
William Lockwood(b), James Chapman, DrewGinn and JoshuaDunkley-Smith(s) of Australia race in the mens four at the 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup II in Lucerne, Switzerland.
As far as competition is concerned, DunkleySmith is remaining open-minded. Despite enduring a tense and exciting rivalry with the British crew during the 2012 season, he believes
Wise words indeed, from a rower on a path to great things.

Laura Fell/Cora Zillich
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> australias promising rowing star Joshua dunkley-smith
A FAST FIVE MINUTES WITH JOSHUADUNKLEY-SMITH World Rowing: My biggest idol is Joshua dunkley-smith: I know it sounds a bit clichd sometimes, but my mum is my biggest idol. She herself is an Olympic athlete in the 470class in sailing. Ialso like Roger Federer hes a pretty classy act. WR: I row because Jds: It takes me to beautiful places and I get to work with a lot of really good people. WR: My goal in rowing is? Jds: Id like to have a pretty long career and hopefully achieve things like Australian rowers such as Drew Ginn or James Tomkins. Thatd be cool. WR: On the erg, I listen to? Jds: I actually only listen to my own head, really, whether there is music on or not. I just listen to the ergo sing. It gives you time to think. You dont always want to be distracted. WR: Im most relaxed when? Jds: I have a full belly and I can sit back and read a book for a couple of hours. WR: My favourite training session is Jds: Either racing pieces on the water or a shorter ride on the bike, time trial style. WR: I study Jds: Journalism, this year mostly by correspondence, which has been really good. WR: In 10 years time I will Jds: Still be rowing, and trying to find a career so I can fund my rowing career. I wouldnt mind working for an advertising firm, which would be something creative and interesting. WR: Im motivated by Jds: My family and having people around like Drew [Ginn]. He is always pushing himself and just watching him and hearing some of the stuff hes been through is pretty amazing. WR: I get annoyed when? Jds: Im hungry and when Im tired. Most of the time I think Im pretty patient and I will take things on board, but when I have a low blood sugar level, I definitely get a bit snappy. WR: My favourite food is? Jds: Milk. I know its not a food, but Icouldnt live without milk. WR: My favourite book is...? Jds: Probably the one Im reading at the moment, which is Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds. The Poet by MichaelConnelly, a crime novel. WR: My favourite movie star is? Jds: Liam Neeson is pretty cool and also TomHanks.
Joshua Dunkley-Smith (AUS) Issue 23 December 2012 9
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Photo Feature
> 2012 samsung World rowing Cup
2012 Photo Highlights

Detlev Seyb/MyRowingPhoto.com
Angel Fournier Rodriguez of Cuba achie ved his countrys best results ever at World Rowing Cup level, winn ing two bronze medals in 2012.
FISA
Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic , overall winner of the mens single sculls in 2012 at World Cup level. He later went on to win his second Olympic silver at London 2012.
r/ Igor Meije
d overall in the Azerbaijan finished secon wing Cup, Nataliya Mustafayeva of Samsung World Ro the 2012 womens single sculls at ult in rowing so far. ring her countrys best res sco
w Cup overall orld Rowing any. Samsung W 2012 , Germ nds are the ng in Munich The Netherla ight. Pictured here raci e the womens
inners in
David Sain (b), Martin Sinkovic, Dam ir Martin and Valent Sinkovic (s) of Croa tia won the 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup overall in the mens quadruple sculls, ahead of Germany and Estonia. They went on to win silver at the London 2012 Olym pic Games.
View over the regatta course from the finish tower at the 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup in Belgrade, Serbia. Issue 23 December 2012 10
2012 Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Image s
ngPhoto.com Detlev Seyb / MyRowi
Igor Meijer / FISA
Photo Feature
> 2012 european rowing Championships
d gol on ia w ht for r an yea om eig 2, R ens cutive ing 01 om se In 2 he w con n Row in t sixth ropea s. the he Eu nship at t ampio Ch
Lithuania won gold in both the wom ens and mens single sculls at the at the 2012 European Rowing Champio nships in Varese, Italy. Pictured here : DonataVistartaite(l) and Mindauga s Griskonis (r).
ens quadruple sculls, Ukraine After winning Olympic gold in the wom gold medal at European level went on to win its sixth consecutive thisyear.
The finish tower at Lago di Varese pictured during the 2012 European Rowing Championships.
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Detlev Seyb / www.myrowingphoto.com
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r eije or M
SA / FI
Detlev Seyb / www.myrowingphoto.com
Igor Meijer/FISA
Photo Feature
Images
> 2012 World rowing Junior Championships
2012 Matthew Lewis/Getty
te winning the junior tang Cui (s) of China celebra nyuan Gu, Shuang Qu and Xiao vdiv, Bulgaria. Xiaoqin Wang (b), Yua Junior Championships in Plo four at the 2012 World Rowing womens
2012 Matth ew Lewis/Getty Imag es
Sisters Giorgia Lo Bue (r) and Serena Lo Bue (l) of Italys junior womens pair win their second worl d junior gold medal at the 2012 World Rowing Junior Champio nships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
View of the regatta course at the 2012 World Rowing Junior and Senior Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
After winning br on Dumitru Mariuc ze at world junior level in the mens four in 20 (s 11, Neculai Anic year in Bulgaria ) of Romania stormed to Wor ulesei(b) and ld Championsh . Romania won ip gold in the ju three gold med ni als at the 2012 World Rowing Ju or mens pair this nior Champion ships.
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Igor Meijer/FISA
After London 2012, where she won bronze in the lightweight womens double sculls, Alexandra Tsiavou of Greece headed to the World Rowing Championships to claim gold in the lightweight womens single sculls. sculls at and womens lightweight quadruple Poland won gold in both the mens Adam Sobczak (b), ps in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. the 2012 World Rowing Championshi sz Jankowski (s) are pictured here czuk, Artur Mikolajczewski and Milo MariuszStan after crossing the line first.
2012 Matthew Lewis/Getty Imag es
2012 Matthew Lewis/Getty Images
At the 2012 World Rowing Championships, HenrikStephansen of Denmark raced to his second world title in the lightweight mens single sculls.
Magdalena Kemnitz (b), Jaclyn Halk o, Agnieszka Renc and Weronika Dere sz (s) of Poland are exhausted after winning the lightweight womens quad ruple sculls at the 2012 World Rowing Senior Championships. Poland went on to claim gold in the lightweig ht mens quad in the next race.
2012 Matthew Lewis/Getty Imag es
View of the regatta course at the 2012 World Rowing Junior and Senior Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
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Igor Meijer/FISA
es 2012 Matthew Lewis/Getty Imag
Photo Feature
> 2012 World rowing senior Championships
Photo Feature
> london 2012 olympic games
Iztok Cop (r) of Slovenia celebrates his last Olympic medal, bronze, won in the mens double sculls with partner Luka Spik (l) before his retirement from rowing.
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ren (r) of the US (l) and Esther Lofg boats second Zsuzsanna Francia their s eight celebrate American women al. pic gold med consecutive Olym
Kim Crow of Australia was the only rower at London 2012 to win twomedals: one bronze in the womens single sculls and one silver in the womens double sculls.
View of the London 2012 regatta course from the camera tower at the start. Issue 23 December 2012 14
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Features
Opportunities and limits to rowing faster

seven World Best times, six olympic Best times and three adaptive World Best times made 2012 the year for rowing faster. Will this be part of an on-going trend? Olympic years are a prime opportunity for World Best Times to be set. This is when athletes aim to be at peak form in the four-year Olympic cycle and when competition is at its toughest. Add good weather conditions in the mix and athletes are likely to make an Olympic year a bumper speedyear. Dr Valery Kleshnev, a rowing scientist and the founder of Biorow Ltd. (www.biorow.com, www.biorow.org ), has carried out extensive analysis of race times recorded at international events, researching past trends in boat speed and estimating probable future boat speeds. After each Olympic Games Kleshnev analyses boat speeds and predicts the speed at which boats will be racing four years later at the next Olympic Rowing Regatta. This year, six of the seven new World Best Times were set on the same day, during the heats of
the Samsung World Rowing Cup II in Lucerne, one and a half seconds faster than the former Switzerland. The first was in the mens four with time which was set 16 years ago. Great Britains top four sweep rowers in the boat. The new time of 5:37.86 was four seconds faster The general growth in speed analysed by Kleshnev than the previous time set ten years prior. This in the mens quadruple sculls is of 1.84 per cent leap, according to Kleshnev, means that the World per year. Kleshnev works out this growth by using Best Time will not be broken again in this boat the best time recorded in each year in each event class until 2029. the Best Time of the Year (BTY). He has used the past 20 years of times and from this has made a In the mens quadruple sculls a new World Best prediction on when the World Best Time will next Time was set by Russia who beat the previous be broken. For the mens quad it means 2019 Best Time set only one race earlier by Croatia. The will be the year. In the womens quadruple sculls, new time of reference in this boat class is 5:33.15. speed is increasing at a slower rate, pushing a The womens quadruple sculls World Best Time possible new World Best Time result even further was broken by Germany when they went nearly down the line to 2024. >
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Igor Meijer/FISA
Features
> opportunities and limits to rowing faster Kleshnev predicts that the three Olympic It placed the standards five to six seconds higher lightweight events are likely to see new World in this event, says Kleshnev who predicts this Best Times by the next Olympic Games in 2016. time will not be broken again until 2024. The new World Best Time in the mens pair was set during In 2012, only one senior World Best Time was the Olympic Games heats and, remarkably, they not set in Lucerne. At the London Olympic were not under any major pressure coming into Games New Zealand set a new World Best Time the finish. They were also the only boat to set a in the mens pair. The new time of 6:08.50 was new Best Time that day. nearly six seconds faster than the time set tenyears prior. Kleshnev sees this as a result With World Best Times continuing to be reset of the intense rivalry that developed between Kleshnev reflects on the limit to potential gains NewZealand and Great Britain in the pair over in speed. We can speculate about limits in the last three years. sports with one dominating physical quality: >
Igor Meijer/FISA
> The womens eight World Best Time was broken by the United States. The USA already held the fastest time which they had set in 2006. The new time was nearly one and a half seconds faster at 5:54.17. The mens eight also set a new World Best Time with Canada racing to 5:19.35, breaking the United States 2004 World Best Time. Kleshnev has seen a growth of speed in both the mens and womens eights of more than 1.5 per cent per year using the BTY and thus within the next four or five years he predicts that these World Best Times will fall again. The only new Best Time in a lightweight event was recorded in the lightweight womens double sculls. New Zealand broke a previous time that had stood for six years by less than half a second and thus set the new time at 6:49.43. Kleshnev sees the recent trend in lightweight boat speeds as showing more growth than in open weight small boats. He has measured a trend of between one and two per cent per year increased boat speed in lightweight categories compared to around 0.2 per cent in the mens and womens single sculls and in the womens pair. Kleshnev explains: The average dimensions of population in most rowing countries is closer to the lightweight category. The percentage of men bigger than 1.90m/90kg and women bigger than 1.80m/78kg is not very significant, so the number of big talented rowers is proportionally lower. Now we see the same countries winning in both the lightweight and the open categories while nations with a less developed rowing culture are uncompetitive in both.
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Features
> opportunities and limits to rowing faster

FISA
> speed in sprinting, endurance in distance running, strength in weightlifting, coordination in gymnastics. However, rowing is a very complex sport. All the above qualities are required in rowing, plus we need coordination in crews, plus we are a very technical sport with quite sophisticated equipment. Therefore, the area to improve in rowing is much wider and we can grow simply with a better combination of the qualities to match the specifics of the athlete. For example, of the winners of the 2012 Olympics we saw both very big athletes (mens single sculls) and quite small athletes (mens double sculls), so they need to choose quite different combinations of the stroke length, rate and applied force. In terms of the factors that are making boats go faster Kleshnev sees a number of aspects. The main factor is the toughness of competition and we see it is increasing. The best rowing nations are getting better and better at adopting the most efficient methods of talent ID, assembling talents and training them to the highest level. The use of sport science, optimal management and funding are very important here. Also, rowing equipment may be improved and better fitted to a rowers characteristics. For example we are working on some revolutionary equipment developments, which may significantly increase boat speed. It must be noted that a unique aspect of rowing is that the sport establishes World Best Times not World Records. This is because weather and water conditions can impact greatly on performance and it is consequently very
difficult to create an absolute level playing field between races and the resulting times. VonWernerKollmann calculated the ideal (tail) wind speed is three to seven metres per second with water temperatures being from 19 to 20C or higher. (Rudersport, October 2006). In terms of Olympic Best Times and Adaptive Best Times being set this year, these are less relevant to trend research. The Olympics are staged only every four years, so the opportunity to set an Olympic Best Time is more limited. Thus usually Olympic Best Times are slower than World Best Times. As adaptive rowing has been raced
internationally for only ten years and a number of boat and classification changes have occurred during this time, the data pool to show trends in adaptive rowing is relatively restricted. The research by Kleshnev is invaluable to coaches as it helps establish prognostic times used by a number of countries when predicting the gold medal standard at the next World Rowing Championships or Olympic Rowing Regatta and thus allows them to establish racing targets.
Melissa S. Bray
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Features
Have fun, aim high the illustrious career of Di Ellis

diana di ellis is executive Chairman of British rowing. she has been awarded the 2012 World rowing distinguished service to international rowing award, the ioC award for services to Womens sport and a CBe (Commander of the Most excellent order of the British empire), amongst other distinctions. ellis was a london 2012 torch-bearer and has been a member of eight executive boards within sport since 1997. this distinguished list of achievements highlights elliss influence on the eve of her stepping down from her role as executive chairman of British rowing. Viewed by many as the backbone of British Rowing, the magnanimous Ellis has just witnessed one of the most successful summers for Great Britains rowers, who emerged on top of the medals table at the Olympic Rowing Regatta with four gold medals, two silvers and three bronzes. Since then, life for Ellis has been nothing short of frantic. I have forgotten what my home looks like! Ellis laughs. British Rowing had 32,000 hits on the website from people of all ages showing an interest in rowing, universities have never had so many students sign up to row, the clubs are struggling to run enough learn to row courses and 1,000 youngsters applied to be future Olympians. Of those, 450 were tested. Ellis, who both rowed and coxed for Great Britain, was first introduced to the sport when she was
15, learning to row, canoe and sail in all types of boats. She joined a womens only rowing club in 1960. Despite success in the sport, Ellis never sought leadership positions and claims it has always been a tap on the shoulder. When I finished my rowing career, I became an umpire, filled several administrative roles in sport and chaired a few committees, including the British Rowing Championships. My first love has always been events as I believe they touch all parts of our sport. I was then invited to become one of the British delegates at the 1986 FISA Congress and in 1988 was elected Chairman of British Rowing, positions I have held to this day, Ellis explains. In 2000, Ellis became the Executive Chairman of British Rowing and has steered the sport through a golden period. When asked how she believes her leadership style has contributed to the success of British Rowing, Ellis was clear it was all about putting people first. >
Di Ellis displays the World Rowing Championships Team Trophy won by the British rowing team at the 2007 World Rowing Championships in Munich, Germany.
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Peter Spurrier/Intersport-Images
Features
> have fun, aim high the illustrious career of di ellis
> I am a competitive team-player with a pragmatic approach. The pragmatist side of me plays to everyones strengths, providing it contributes to the success of the whole. I have been a listener and I never make promises that cant be delivered. My guiding principle is rules are for the guidance of wise men and the observance of fools. In short, I put people first. You value your paid staff but never forget volunteers are beyond price. Choosing a highlight of such a long-standing career is tricky for Ellis. Her favourite races at the Olympic Rowing Regatta were the womens double sculls, as Katherine Grainger won gold, and the mens eight which she believed depicted true Olympic spirit. Beyond the London 2012 Olympic Games, Ellis spoke of other defining moments in her career. My highlights have been bringing international events back to Great Britain and the number of juniors now coming through. Also, the growth of opportunities in the sport for women and seeing the first womens Olympic gold medals for British Rowing. I am a strong believer in sport for all and that includes equal opportunities for women. Iknow I will be handing my successor a sound and successful organisation. If the London 2012 Olympic motto was to inspire a generation, Ellis has certainly achieved this in all she has done for British Rowing, creating an outstanding legacy of success.
Ellis says: Looking ahead to the future, I hope rowing remains a clean sport and that it remains to be seen as an exemplar in world sport. I would like to see the further growth of Paralympic rowing and for all to remember: money supports our sport, it doesnt rule it. My hope is I have helped create an inclusive sport where everyone feels valued and that those who
come after me remember we are the guardians of the sport. I believe rowing in Great Britain is truly a sport for all. We have fun and we aim high. In February 2013, Ellis will be stepping down from her role as Chairman and will be replaced by Annamarie Phelps.
Laura Fell
Di Ellis posing with 2011 World Champions in the womens double sculls Anna Watkins (l) and Katherine Grainger (r).
Peter Spurrier/Intersport Images
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The on-going rise of NewZealand Rowing

new Zealand rowing experienced unprecedented success at this years olympic rowing regatta at EtonDorney, Great Britain. Winning three gold and two bronze medals, the small nation of just 4.4million inhabitants attained its best result ever at an Olympic Rowing Regatta, finishing second inthe medals table behind GreatBritain and ahead of Germany. In 2000, single sculler Rob Waddell won NewZealands first Olympic medal in rowing since the nation claimed three bronze medals at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games. In 2004, it ranked seventh equal with four other nations with its one gold medal. In 2008, at the Beijing Olympic Rowing Regatta, New Zealand finished eighth overall, with one gold and two bronze medals. Twin sisters Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell won New Zealands only gold medals in rowing at Athens and Beijing in the womens double sculls. In honour of the rising performance of the Kiwi squad in recent years, head coach Richard Dick Tonks, 61, received the 2012 World Rowing Coach of the Year Award for the third time, stating it was an honour to be acknowledged by the international rowing body. Tonks has now coached boats to Olympic gold at four successive Games. I first started coaching in Wanganui and then made my way to Olympic level in 1996. >
New Zealands EricMurray(b) and HamishBond (s), World Best Time holders and unbeaten in the mens pair since 2009.
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> the on-going rise of new Zealand rowing
> The rest is history. Rowing has been a part of my life for about 42years, so two-thirds of my life. Tonks states he is now four years older since Beijing and hopefully wiser, adding that he made only minor changes and adaptations to the programme since the 2008 Olympic Games. The biggest change he witnessed is the simple matter of more athletes. The depth of the squad and the internal competition between them had a fantastic impact on our success levels, he says. There are so many more young athletes pushing the standards of the whole squad. New Zealands first London 2012 rowing medal was collected on day one of the Olympic regatta finals in the womens pair. Juliette Haigh and Rebecca Scown, 2010 and 2011 World Champions, were on the right side of a very close finish with the United States of America and won bronze. The day after, in the mens double sculls, 2011 World Champions Nathan Cohen and JosephSullivan came from behind to close down on the rest of the field in the dying metres of the race and sneak ahead of Italy and Slovenia to win the first gold of the regatta for their nation. Friday 3 August 2012 proved to be a truly golden day for New Zealand Rowing and according to Tonks, the highlight of the Olympic Games for New Zealand.
First up, the mens pair. Hamish Bond and of friends and rivals Ondrej Synek of the Czech EricMurray, unbeaten in this boat class since they Republic and Alan Campbell of GreatBritain. made their international debut together in 2009, had broken the long-standing World Best Time Twenty-four hours later, New Zealands lightweight a few days earlier in the heats to lower the new mens double sculls crew of Storm Uru and standard to 6:08.50. In the final, they broke clear Peter Taylor added another bronze medal to of the rest of the field just after the halfway mark complete New Zealands record medal haul to win Olympic gold. Less than 30 minutes later, inLondon. five-time World Champion MaheDrysdale took to the lake to win another gold medal in the highly Tonks tells World Rowing that in New Zealand competitive final of the mens single sculls, ahead rowing is now the most medalled Olympic >
Rebecca Scown (s) and Juliette Haigh (b) of NewZealand celebrate winning bronze in the womens pair at the 2012 Olympic Rowing Regatta.
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> sport with 21 medals won at the Olympic Games. The success of rowing has made Kiwis very proud to be New Zealanders, says Tonks. The London 2012 Games will help inspire the next generation too. There has been a surge in interest at the domestic level at clubs and schools, with people wanting to give the sport a go. Some of these Kiwi kids will choose a sport and will be able to become Olympic Champions, like Mahe Drysdale, EricMurray, Hamish Bond, Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan. The levels of rowing will increase but there are limitations related to the number of boat clubs and boats available, Tonks states. In New Zealand we have 5,200 registered members. The number has grown steadily over time and the success at the Olympic Games has definitely helped this. The interesting fact is that a majority of our rowers are training at secondary school level and the beautiful thing about rowing in NewZealand is that those who compete in rowing regattas >
Nathan Cohen (b) and Joseph Sullivan (s) of New Zealand celebrate becoming 2012 Olympic Champions in the mens double sculls.
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> see our elite squad competing at the same regattas, which is really inspirational for those who have the lofty goal of winning an Olympicmedal. The New Zealand rowing squad looks set to continue to grow in size, strength and power, but Tonks chooses not to reveal too much detail about his plans for the development of gold medal winning athletes at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. That would be telling! he laughs. When asked about his aims, Tonks remains modest, realistic and true to his athletes. We are aiming for at least one medal and anything above and beyond that is a bonus. To achieve five medals in Rio would be outstanding, says Tonks. Part of the development plans for these athletes is to ensure we are able to have the depth in the squad where we can boat every single boat class in Rio and keep building on that for years to come, through 2020 and beyond. But, says Tonks, the overall aim is to ensure all rowers walk away from the Olympic Games satisfied with their performance and have a race they are proud of. Personally, I feel very proud of New Zealands achievement on the rowing world stage and enjoy doing what I do.
Laura Fell
Mahe Drysdale of NewZealand, five-time World Champion and Olympic bronze and gold medallist in the mens singlesculls.
Storm Uru and Peter Taylor of New Zealand show the Olympic bronze medal they won in the lightweight mens double sculls.
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That grey area of rowing retirement

olympic gold or olympic fold. Whatever the result of the all-important olympic final is, transitioning to life after the biggest show on earth is no simple move. Now that the curtains have come down on the London Olympic Games a number of athletes have announced their retirement. Some, like IztokCop of Slovenia, already knew the time was right after six Olympic Games. Others wrestle with the decision. Olympic Champion in the mens single sculls, Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand, is still to make his decision (when this World Rowing e-Magazine issue went to press). Drysdale is a qualified accountant but admits that he cannot see himself going back to that profession. Despite retirement being inevitable for athletes, like many things in life, it is not necessarily planned for or talked about, and finding something to fill the void of the excitement, pressure, adrenalin, uniqueness and regimented life created by being a top athlete is not easy. Some cope fine. Somedont. Ask three-time Irish Olympian Gearoid Towey about how he coped after the Olympics and he wont paint a happy picture. When I retired I had a good education and a different social network. But one year later, says Towey, I was shocked at how much of my identity had been lost. Towey recently addressed the 2012 World Rowing Coaches Conference and described the loss of identity that many athletes feel. He espouses the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross stages of grief that were originally used to look at peoples grieving process following a death. Towey says these stages denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance are similar to the stages an athlete will go through after the Olympics end. New Zealand Olympian Mike Stanley recognises the process. He stroked the New Zealand mens >
Sam Lynch (l) and GearoidTowey of Ireland pose with the bronze medals they won in the lightweight mens double sculls at the 2003 World Rowing Championships in Milan, Italy.
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> that grey area of rowing retirement
Its a bit like a bereavement, says Stanley. But somehow youve got to create a door to walk through and move on in your life. Stanleys children are involved in top level sport and Stanley says he hopes to instil some perspective for them. But its difficult when something means so much to you. Hopefully you can see the broader perspective around life. The personality that makes for a top athlete can also hinder them when they retire from sport. A top athletes personality is all about perfectionism, says Towey, which is difficult to maintain in the outside world. They are also not so good at asking for help because it could be seen as a weakness. Towey says the solution is to share your vulnerability as then you still own it. Athletes who cope the best after retirement are those who have already planned whats next. A large number of rowers choose to study at university which helps to open doors in retirement. Canadas Rachelle Viinberg who won silver in the
Olympic silver medallist in the lightweight mens four, Rob Williams (GBR) describes it differently. Its kind of like coming off a cliff, Williams told The Sunday Telegraph. We got our medals, we stood up in front of 30,000 people going nuts and then youve finished, and where do you go from there? Williams is using a recruitment agency that specialises in finding jobs for athletes and he has the advantage of a PhD which he completed during his rowing years. In the last ten to 15 years the number of athletes training full-time has increased as governments, seeking Olympic medals, put more and more funding into sport. Being a paid full-time athlete, however, comes at a price. It means increased pressure to perform as results become the key indicator of funding levels. It means more of the athletes personal identity is tied up in their sport and their performance. It means the athlete is putting other parts of their life on hold like careers and family. In rowing it means so much depends on a small number of events. For many, due to the structure of their sport, the Olympics become the sole focus and obsession. >
Chris Bartley, Richard Chambers, Rob Williams and Peter Chambers of Great Britain celebrate with their silver medals during the medal ceremony of the lightweight mens four at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
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> eight to world championship gold medals in 1982 and 1983. The expectations were very high for him at his last regatta before retirement. But, after finishing fourth at the 1984 Olympic Games, not achieving his goal, Stanley says it was a lengthy process to transition into retirement as an athlete and get over the disappointment.
womens eight in London, described the transition to retirement as easy. Viinberg always had a plan B and studied while training. She moved straight into employment after theOlympics.
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> that grey area of rowing retirement
> It is really important for anyone dealing with athletes to consider them as human beings making massive sacrifices to train in the prime of their lives, says FISAs executive director Matt Smith, and when they give up all their other options in life in order to train full time, that they are giving their confidence and trust that their lives are being valued and that their futures are being considered. We have a duty to the athletes to think about their futures and not just squeeze performances out of them, take the medals and the credit, and then release the athletes when they are no longer producing medals. Kirsten Barnes is a mental performance consultant in Canada and says that now Canada has more of a programme in place to get athletes thinking ahead on what they are going to do after retirement from their sport. We underestimate the emotional dip we can all fall into, including staff and coaches (after the Olympics), says Barnes. Barnes, an Olympian adds, Im guilty of it. I didnt make a plan, but luckily it was there for me as I was finishing mystudies. Its important to accept time out, says Barnes, then look at what youre going to do moving forward. You have to accept that its going to be
emotional and that you need people to reach out to, people who will support you. In light of Toweys experiences he has started a project called Crossing the Line where he helps
athletes transition from elite sport to a new life. Planning to cross that line is the key.
Melissa S. Bray
Eugene Coakley(b), Gearoid Towey, RichardArchibald and Paul Griffin (s) of Ireland racing in the lightweight mens four semifinal at the 2008 Rowing World Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland.
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Juergen Grobler of Great Britain
Olympic aftermath the dance of the coaches

The national team rowing system in most countries operates closely around the four-year olympic cycle. in coaching, contracts are usually four-year agreements with olympic results playing a decisive role on whether a coach is rehired or goes on to accept a better offer from another nation. Thus begins the dance of the coaches. It is now commonplace for coaches to move from one country to the next. Borders are no hindrance with national federations willing to look internationally when hiring top coaches. The first wave of transfers occurred in the early 1990s with western countries eager to hire coaches from the former Eastern Bloc. Names like Harald Jahrling, Juergen Grobler, Hartmut Buschbacher and Igor Grinko to name a few, went west. As the curtains closed on the 2012 Olympic Games, arrangements were already being made to set up the coaching stage for the next four years. Here is an overview of some of the shuffling that has taken place so far. Tim McLaren was the United States head mens coach for the last four years. From Australia, McLaren came to the US initially as a collegiate coach before moving into the USRowing position. McLaren is now back in Australia and potentially taking up a regional coaching position. To even out the AustralianUnited States ratio, former United States collegiate coach Curtis Jordan, who has been coaching in Australia for the last couple of years, returns to the US, this time as High Performance Director. The US mens head coaching position will now be held by two Americans, 2004 Olympic Champion in the mens eight Bryan Volpenhein and 2003 World Champion in the mens coxed four LucasMcGee. Both were already coaching in the United States. Remaining in place is womens head sweep coach Tom Terhaar and assistant Laurel Korholz. Terhaar is the coach behind the phenomenally successful United States womens eight. Irelands high performance director MartinMcElroy is leaving Ireland to become the national mens programme performance director in Canada. This is part of a >
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2012 Michael Steele/Getty Images
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> olympic aftermath the dance of the coaches
> reshuffling in Canada which also involves the non-renewal of the contract of head mens coach since 2000, MikeSpracklen. Taking McElroys place in Ireland is MortenEspersen of Denmark. Espersen has coached in Australia and also served as Denmarks high performance director from 1993 to 2001. New Zealand has retained head coach and 2012 World Rowing Coach of the Year Dick Tonks, but coach of the New Zealand bronze medal womens pair John Robinson has accepted a new position in the Jiansu province of China. Returning to New Zealand after spending the last quadrennial in Australia as High Performance Director is Andrew Matheson. Matheson is stepping outside of rowing to work in high performance for Sport New Zealand. Australian mens four coach Chris OBrien will move into Mathesons former role in Australia. In Germany decisions are still to be made following head coach Hartmut Buschbachers decision to not continue after holding his position for four years. Buschbacher has spent a substantial part of his coaching career in the United States, including time as a national team coach and collegiatecoach.
An internal shuffle in the Netherlands has seen technical director Rene Mijnders move back into coaching while the nations most successful 2012 Olympic rowing coach Susannah Chayes (coach of the bronze medal Dutch womens eight) will not be continuing. Josy Verdonkschot, who left coaching in the Netherlands to go to Italy as head womens coach for four years, will now be leaving Italian rowing. He has yet to announce where he will be coaching next. There are also many cases where countries have maintained the status quo. Great Britain is the main example. Following their most successful Olympic Games ever in rowing, the coaching staff has remained remarkably stable. The top two coaches Paul Thompson and Juergen Grobler are staying in place and work is already underway to build towards the 2016 Olympics. Similarly, South Africas Roger Barrow is staying on to head South African rowing. The legacy of the first ever Olympic rowing gold for South Africa under his tutelage is certainly a credit to Barrows leadership. Overall, one should not be surprised to see some coaches turning up next season at the international regattas sporting a whole new wardrobe of colours.
Melissa S. Bray
Bryan Volpenhein of the United States
Hartmut Buschbacher from Germany
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Rowings elite personalities

at the 2012 World rowing Coaches Conference dr annelen Collatz of germany gave a presentation onpsychology in competitive sports. Here World Rowing focuses on one element of her discussion - the personality traits of elite rowers, looking at the effect on competitive performance of how an athlete feels and acts. Sports performance is determined by a combination of factors: physiological factors, technical skill, tactical insight and state of mind in short, personality, says Collatz. There are six key traits that form the personality of elite rowers: social skills, commitment, discipline, dominance, stability and cooperation. The extent to which a rower possesses these traits decides which personality category an athlete fits into. Collatz breaks the personality types of elite rowers into four categories: the unstable type, the team player, the individualist and the leader type. Rowers will fit into one of these categories or possess a combination of traits from multiple types. Rowers categorised as the unstable type are highly disciplined athletes who will find it more difficult when it comes to dealing with other team members (crewmates, coaches). They may also show cracks when under pressure, such as at selection time or during competition. Relaxation techniques, positive thinking and finding the cause of their low stability may help to regulate their behaviour and improve how this type of rower deals with others. The team player is a key personality type for a crew boat team. They work well in a group structure and can be the voice of reason during times of conflict. Rowers of this personality type are less likely to assert dominance than others. When one looks at the individualist, the stereotype that comes to mind is that of the single sculler. The individualist needs a lot of freedom to function at his best, often training alone and without the supervision of a coach. It is for this reason that individualists tend to cause difficulty when put into crew boats, as they lack the ability to cooperate in a team setting. Like the individualist, the leader type is a dominant personality but this rower will use >
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> rowings elite personalities
> dominance to influence others rather than to motivate only themselves. These rowers strive to be in control (to have a say in team meetings, training arrangements, etc.) and can significantly influence those around them. But of course this influence can go in various directions. Having too many leader types in one boat can become critical and lead to conflict as frustration can occur when they feel as though their ability to lead is unfulfilled. The personality traits of an elite rower contribute both directly and indirectly to their competitive performance. Personality traits directly influence the psychological state of a rower going into competition and therefore can influence
FISA
performance. But before a rower even gets to competition their personality traits have already had an influence on helping them reach that point. In preparing for competition a rowers personality has influenced how they have developed and improved their technical skills and physiological ability. It may also have played a part in crew selection. During competition time a rowers mood will directly influence performance in terms of how efficiently they can apply the skills they have learned. Psychological state also directly influences a rowers current physical state. To put this theory into practice, imagine a rower who has had a troubled relationship with his coach. This conflict has caused the rower to become
untrusting of his coachs advice, their relationship breaks down resulting in his missing a number of training sessions because of the anxiety this has caused. The athlete becomes fatigued because of the mental stress he is under and so when it comes to competition he is unable to reach his maximum physical or technical potential. Compare this to an athlete who is training as part of a team which he feels a valued part of. He trains together with his crewmates and their relationship outside the boat is good. They have one common goal and understand the part each of them has to play in realising it. They work to maximise every training session and take on board coaching points in a constructive way. This >
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> athlete will enter competition in a positive frame of mind and thus optimal performance is likely. Does a rowers genetic predisposition (the characteristics they inherited from their parents) mean that they can only ever fit into one personality category? According to Collatz, a persons genetic predisposition only contributes to between 2 and 4 per cent of their personality. The development of personality is close to completion at the end of the teenage years, but it can be modified at any stage throughout life if there is a willingness to do so. Athletes should make themselves aware of the personality type they possess: If you want to deal with yourself (in life, in a team) the first step is to know yourself, Collatz explains. It is also important for coaches to familiarise themselves with their athletes personalities. The coach has to gain trust and respect from his athletes as he will push them to, and sometimes beyond, their physical limits. Collatz believes that if a coach understands each athletes personality he can find a way to work best with each individual. The coach will also bear in mind the personality type of his athletes when selecting crews. Collatz says a balance of personality types work best in a boat. Too many athletes of the unstable type or the leader type are not a good combination in big boats. However, when selecting a crew the coach should firstly look at the level of athletes based on their physical and technical level. Whilst >
Personality types of elite rowers Type Character high Unstable T. 2nd highest characterised indiscipline Stability, social skills, dominance, commitment Team Player Social skills, commitment, cooperation, stability dominance Individualist commitment, dominance, highest indiscipline Co-operation andsocial skills Leader Type Highest indominance, commitment, socialskills Discipline, butinsignificant
low
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Igor Meijer / FISA
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> a balance is best, if there are personalities that they feel may be disruptive to a crew yet are physically good enough the coach should ask himself if he believes they can be worked on and if the athlete would be willing to put in the time and effort needed to blend in with the crew. Collatz recommends that rowers and coaches work together to enhance positive personality traits and control negatives. The most basic of these are creating a sense of calm in the rower. Relaxation techniques such as breathing techniques and progressive muscle relaxation should be employed. Debriefing also plays a major part in supporting or controlling some personality traits by removing negative thinking and encouraging mental and emotional regeneration. Self-reflection, asking questions like what happened during the competition?, what was I thinking and feeling during the competition?, what can I change? and how can I implement this? will allow rowers to reaffirm the positives from their performance and isolate the elements that caused issues so that they can be resolved in the future. Visualising future scenarios (best/worst case) will also work to extend and appropriate perspectives and remove thinking barriers. Sports psychology is being embraced by more and more athletes, coaches and federations. Collatz tells us that it is an underestimated performance factor [that will] be highly relevant in the future and will be one of the decisive factors in determining success or failure.
Lisa Hayden
Personality Traits of Elite Rowers

6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Unstable Type Commitment Discipline
Team Player
Individualist
Leader Type Dominance Stability

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Social skills Co-operation
Igor Meijer / FISA
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How Issaka got to row at the Olympics

a swimming pool attendant from a landlocked desert nation became a star at the london 2012 olympic games when he generated crowd enthusiasm and support at the eton dorney olympic rowing regatta course. hamadou djibo issaka of niger raced in the mens single sculls and although he always finished in a far-off last place, the modest 35-year-old racing at his first rowing regatta brought spectators to their feet in rapturous applause. Who is Issaka and how did he ever get to row at the Olympic Games?
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drought is common. As one of the poorest nations in the world, it has the highest birth rate but also the highest infant mortality rate, with life expectancy averaging 53 years. Issaka, however, is unique for a Nigerien. He trained as a competitive swimmer and became a swimming pool attendant and gardener in the capital city of Niamey. His plan was to become a swimmer for his country. When Issaka was singled out by Nigers Olympic Committee to go to the London Olympics it was not in swimming but in rowing. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) reserves a limited number of Olympic spots open so that Universality, as specified in the Olympic Charter, which is a fundamental aspect of the Olympics can be respected. The IOCs Tripartite Commission invites nations represented by six or fewer athletes at the previous two Olympic Games to apply for a spot. The best athlete in the chosen sport from that country is then putforward. As a member nation of the IOC, Niger proposed Issaka as a rowing candidate after the IOC allocated four single sculling spots for London. Paraguay, Myanmar and Monaco also gained spots. Thus began Issakas rowing training. >
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Living in Niger is not particularly favourable to rowing. The land is predominantly desert and
Single sculler Hamadou Djibo Issaka of Niger. Issue 23 December 2012
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> how issaka got to row at the olympics in less than nine minutes a time that would put him in line with the slower single scullers. In his first race, heat four, Issaka crossed the line in 8:25. Although more than a minute behind the winner (Olympic Champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand), Issaka received the loudest cheer of the day. It was a heartfelt Olympic moment. Throughout the regatta Issaka raced four times and by his second race, the repechage, Issaka had become an Olympic sensation with media from around the world wanting to interview him. When asked about finishing so far behind in his races, the quietly spoken Issaka replied that he was used to it and didnt mind, especially as he was receiving so much support from the crowds. Im very happy because the people encourage me and it helps me to finish. Now that Issaka has had a taste of rowing he is keen to continue on until the 2016 Olympic Games. There are many people [in Niger] who want to start rowing because I have gone to the Olympic Games. We just have to wait for the boats to arrive. A small number of rowing boats are heading to Niger and the interest in rowing has blossomed in Issakas country. This will certainly be an upgrade for Issaka, as when he was in Niger he rowed in a boat made out of materials found in his town. This did not include materials like carbon fibre that have become standard in other rowing nations.
Melissa S. Bray
> Not only is there no rowing in Niger, there are no flat water rowing boats and no rowing clubs. Issakas first taste of the sport came by rowing an open-water boat. With the help of the IOCs Olympic Solidarity Programme, the International Rowing Federation (FISA) and the Tunisian Rowing Federation, Issaka then went to Egypt and then to Tunisia for a training camp before heading to Hazewinkel, Belgium, where he trained to become accustomed to a 2,000m buoyed course in preparation for London. I fell out the first time I rowed in a real rowing boat, says Issaka. As Im a swimmer I was alright. When Issaka arrived at the London Olympics he had three months of solid, intensive rowing behind him and had the goal of completing 2,000m
Hamadou Issaka of Niger competing at the 2012 Olympic Rowing Regatta.
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For students, by students Norwegian university rowing

in recent years norwegian rowing has been mainly associated with one name: olaf tufte. however, a community of young rowers is rapidly developing behind him: norways university rowers. At the 2012 World University Rowing Champion- and sustained by the students themselves and ships in Kazan, Russia, 19 Norwegian university operate independently of the universities. There students from seven universities represented is no university administrative faculty behind their nation in six boat classes and this number them. The students themselves to do all the work is expected to increase over the coming years. to allow the clubs to function, yen explains. World Rowing spoke to those who know Norwegian university rowing best to learn more about The first university clubs were formed in Norway its past, present and future. in the early 20th century but their existence was short-lived and they soon merged with Sjur yen was head of the Norwegian team other rowing clubs. It wasnt until 1998 that two delegation at the 2012 World University Rowing university clubs were formed at the Norwegian Championships. He is also the president of the University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Norwegian Association of University Sports. His Trondheim and the University of Bergen. role is voluntary, but one he does not take lightly. The more work he puts in, he realises, the more The club in Bergen tries to qualify for Henley it enables student athletes in Norway to achieve every year, despite being more of a social club. their goals in university sport. However, they still encourage participation in rowing amongst students. In Trondheim they In Norway, University sports clubs, including tried rowing for two or three years but then it rowing clubs, function differently from the died off, yen says. structure commonly found in the United States, Great Britain and Germany. For instance, In 2006 rowing at Trondheim got a second wind. Norways university rowing clubs are founded We started out with just eight oars but a >
Sjur yen, head of the rowing delagation at the World University Rowing Championships, Kazan (RUS) and head of the Norwegian Association of University Sports.
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> For students, by students norwegian university rowing
> lot of volunteers and managed to receive funding from the Norwegian Lottery Fund. We went straight out to buy a new Filippi eight, which we got in 2007 and have been rowing in as much as possible ever since, yen proudly explains. Since then Trondheim students have not only increased the number of boats they have entered at regattas, such as the European and World University Rowing Championships, but have also climbed the results tables. What motivates yen and others involved to drive a project to grow university rowing across Norwegian universities? I think it has a lot to do with the fact that there is no alternative, he explains. There is only a small number of clubs in Norway that have the resources to hire
a coach and develop athletes (beyond under- On campus we have a number of apartments 23 level). We have realised that if we want to where a lot of the rowers live, so its like a small continue to row we have to do it ourselves we rowing village, Klingan says. Its very cool. We have to find solutions to take care of our teams are a really tightgroup. at the universities and continue to build step by step. It did not take long for a sense of inter-university rivalry to develop. When NTNU student Despite their short-lived existence to date, it MarteKrogsrud was asked which university club hasnt taken long for a sense of community was their biggest rival she quickly responded, All to develop in Norways university rowing of them! clubs. OlaJohan Kilngan is a student at NTNU, Trondheim, and rowed in the mens eight in Kazan. The Norwegian University Championships mark He started rowing in 2005 and was guided by his the end of each university rowing season and club mate and role model, Olaf Tufte, through give student rowers the chance to demonstrate his time as a junior athlete. Now at university, he how much they have improved each year. They appreciates being able to continue the sport he are hungry for competition and Krogsrud says loves in the company of university friends. she hopes that 2013 will present more >
Elise Sandsmark (b), Marianne Madsen, MarteKrogsrud and MarteBergstedt Flaat(s) racing in the womens four at the 2012 World University Rowing Championships in Kazan, Russia.
36
UNIVERSITY ROWING
> For students, by students norwegian university rowing
> opportunities for universities to compete against each other. 2013 will also be exciting for Norwarys university rowers as the Universiade, which will attract over 13,500 student athletes, will be held in Kazan. Its going to be great to see all their inspiration put into action, yen says. yens hopes for the future growth of Norwegian university rowing are based on sustainable growth. There is a lot of potential for development in
Norway but it has to be done step by step, he explains. The students themselves have to say to themselves: I have rowing experience, Iwant to see the sport developed at my university and then do the needed work. We have seen from experience that it is possible to do this. With the status that rowing has as an academic sport yen says many sponsors give initial support to newly formed clubs and, if they prove themselves, commit to further sponsorship. Another hope is that the Norwegian Rowing Federation will integrate the World University
Rowing Championships and Universiade into its development pathway, which would give rowers an intermediary goal when transitioning from under-23 to senior level. yens advice to any university wanting to start a rowing club is quite simple: rather than thinking a boathouse is the first step to getting on the water, he recommends: get a boat and go rowing!
Lisa Hayden
The Norwegian mens eight racing at the 2012 World University Rowing Championships in Kazan, Russia.
37
environMent
Water quality on Bostons Charles River

throughout the world there are bodies of water that have become popular rowing spots. some are so popular that the waterway has become synonymous with rowing. Often, however, the quality of water has been compromised due to past and present interference by humans, especially if the waterway is located near a settled area. In the United States one of the most popular rowing waterways is the Charles River on the East Coast in Boston. The river flows through 22 cities and towns before reaching the Atlantic Ocean in Boston. It is also the venue for the very popular annual Head of the Charles Regatta making the river well-known to rowers throughout the United States and internationally. Over a dozen rowing clubs line the CharlesRiver in its final stretch. Some are affiliated with universities while others such as the Union, Riverside and Cambridge Boat Clubs are large public clubs. Cambridge even has a waiting list of aspiring members. One relatively new club, Community Rowing Inc., has some 5,000people rowing out of the club annually. Rowing on the Charles has continued to grow. The Charles River, however, inherited 400 years of misuse by humans, leading Harpers Magazine to describe it in 1955 as foul and noisome, polluted by offal and industrious wastes, scummy with oil, unlikely to be mistaken for water. During the 1800s the Charles River was surrounded by mills and factories as one of the most industrialised areas of the United States. As well as industrial waste, sewage and urban runoff flowed directly into the river. >
Scullers lining up for the start of the 2011 Head of the Charles Regatta with the Boston skyline as a backdrop.
38
2011 Stan Grossfeld/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
environMent
> Water quality on Bostons Charles river
> Any rower who experienced the Charles River more than ten years ago knew the very sobering adage if you fall out, go straight to hospital. This was the extent of pollution levels of the river. Popular swimming spots had long been shut down. Then in 1995 the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set the goal of making the river swimmable and fishable within ten years. The Clean Charles Rivers Initiative had begun. The top priority was to reduce bacteria levels in the river which required dealing with combined sewer overflows untreated sewage spilling directly into the river due to runoff from the surrounding city.
In 1995 the river was attributed a D rating, which denoted no swimming. Although the river had not reached a swimming standard by 2005, the rating had improved to a B+ which meant that some swimming was possible. In 2007, the first sanctioned swimming race in over 50 years washeld. Work continues to be done on water quality improvement with local rowing clubs playing their part in helping with clean-up initiatives. The Charles River Watershed Association conducts an annual clean-up day and this year 4,000volunteers participated, including rowing clubs.
Melissa S. Bray
Spectators watching racing at the 2011 Head of the Charles Regatta.
39
2011 Essdras M Suarez/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
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Issue 23 December 2012

Personalities, passion and perseverance

Rowings elite personalities p. 29

For students, by students Norwegian university rowing p. 35 ENVIRONMENT

Water quality on Bostons Charles River

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Issue 23 December 2012

We want to become olympic Champions argentinas mens double sculls

Issue 23 December 2012

Issue 23 December 2012

2012 Harry How/Getty Images

2012 Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Australias promising rowing star JoshuaDunkley-Smith

Issue 23 December 2012

2012 Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

> australias promising rowing star Joshua dunkley-smith

Wise words indeed, from a rower on a path to great things.

> australias promising rowing star Joshua dunkley-smith

Joshua Dunkley-Smith (AUS) Issue 23 December 2012 9

> 2012 samsung World rowing Cup

2012 Photo Highlights

2012 Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Image s

ngPhoto.com Detlev Seyb / MyRowi

Igor Meijer / FISA

> 2012 european rowing Championships

Issue 23 December 2012

Detlev Seyb / www.myrowingphoto.com

Detlev Seyb / www.myrowingphoto.com

> 2012 World rowing Junior Championships

2012 Matthew Lewis/Getty

Issue 23 December 2012

2012 Matthew Lewis/Getty Imag es

2012 Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

2012 Matthew Lewis/Getty Imag es

Issue 23 December 2012

es 2012 Matthew Lewis/Getty Imag

> 2012 World rowing senior Championships

> london 2012 olympic games

2012 Harry How/Getty Images

2012 Harry How/Getty Images

Opportunities and limits to rowing faster

> opportunities and limits to rowing faster

Have fun, aim high the illustrious career of Di Ellis

> have fun, aim high the illustrious career of di ellis

The on-going rise of NewZealand Rowing

Issue 23 December 2012

> the on-going rise of new Zealand rowing

Issue 23 December 2012

2012 Harry How/Getty Images

> the on-going rise of new Zealand rowing

Issue 23 December 2012

2012 Harry How/Getty Images

> the on-going rise of new Zealand rowing

Issue 23 December 2012

2012 Harry How/Getty Images

2012 Harry How/Getty Images

That grey area of rowing retirement