GRAINGERZHANG Katherine,BEARE Yangyang,Bartlomiej, OPPELTJon, EBBESENLEWIS Britta,VERNON JOERGENSENBERNATAJTYS LUTZEMike, Eskild HANSEN Manuela,PARSONSAnnie, Balschmidt,Vasileios, Morten, Milosz,Rasmus BORON FLOODMOUGIOSLiam, ANDERSENPAWLOWSKI RANDA RASMUSSENKathrin,Nicholai PURCHASETANGDebbie, CAMERONSCHILLERBin,Dimitrios, MadsPawel, Quist,Lukasz, Zac, JINHOUGHTON Christian Mads EBERTHUNTERBRAMBELLZiwei, PAWELCZAK POLYMEROS Thomas, Reinholdt,Kruse,XI Mark, Aihua,Frances,Iain, Tracy, Melanie, , RYAN , Matt, RYAN ALDER David, Francis, DESPRES BOTHAM Stephen, , WU You, , WUGAOYulan, You, d, d, BRENNAN Scott, FTE Olaf, SYNEK Ondrej, SYNEK Ondrej, Olaf, FTE N Minna, KOK atrin, HUTH Christiane, RTELETTE Dorian,vander George, EVERS-SWINDELL Stephanie, Issue 7 – December 2008 KOLK KOLK Kirsten, van EUPEN Marit, STEN Sanna, NIEMINE Julien, RONDEAU Benjamin,Julien, RONDEAU CHARDIN Germain, MO MARBURG James, McKENZIE-McHARG Cameron, HEGERTY JAMES Tom, WILLIAMSJAMES Tom, Steve, REED TRIGGS Pete, HODGE Andrew ENDREKSON Tonu, JAANSON Juri, WELLS Matthew, ROW LAVERICK LAVERICK Elise, BEBINGTON Anna, CRAWSHAY Davi Georgina, EVERS-SWINDELL Caroline, THIELE Annek FRANDSEN Scott, TWADDLE Nathan, BRIDGEWATER BICHYK Yuliya, HELAKH Natallia, GINN Drew, FREE Duncan, C DRYSDALE Mahe, ANDRUNACHE Georgeta, SUSANU Viorica LEWSKI Ko NEYKOVA Rumyana, GUERETTE Michelle, KARSTEN Ekaterina, TU Ekaterina, KARSTEN Michelle, GUERETTE Rumyana, NEYKOVA ASIE nrad , W , KO lien RREST Cedric, CA LB Ju , BE FAR O N lies GMA N O W AI ar a, KIN ienk Er IC H M ric e, R in Z A S Vio ERBAN Ro EP , S M B R U a, S dic EL H a , E N len a A O r n D A E LIGHT Kev M E e a L S U le, in, ar R O k e U U C Ky R ia v P , J S S RICE Bri U , a J - M , E N tt, P an, TL B n L E e a G O a PA E in L r S t T M ITH R D A D r , n R IL E t, SM C T R R d IN e a G at oli R G ie t O M D y n ID A IE s S k s E I , E B a P A R W AL N G L K n G . W SH B A y m H G N us Da E E R , I R e o , c n T e , N E r i H A S o G M E F C a L a e n I l l l O A L , E e E i n m M C , n i T R A i L x n c a , A Y O R B O L , e h E C o r E C i E i I d , P S Y k , D K a D a N O P h P T R v C A t o l A K A , N O a , s a T R N , E T E n L K K a c L n L T l i M U A E E O L D H A a E R B A S L A , N U M A E R h A , U S E y r E t R O R c A G S t r n M T e I c a e D e D A K a t n n L v , n O r s P Y M , T T e , a d a , M E o C A T o c n t O , i J H r n S m d H L , e e E L A B a n I i O T N E i O y L m a w C g n , , r I A r M K O t m P L B G n , t F m E o U R o A P P a W e N F I A I o , N H n e M C E O m , E J M A H N H a o E D Y A G h s N h E , P W T O s G V a L O T N H D E , W o E E o Z r C C I A J L B k , i m u l R E e e H , l T R B e a M n e L , u i m k O S , E C e N E S H C E y , e G T J A r E I n i m I W a , C N , t E G T d a k e N r r N o T a S U O i e h A c N i R n t C , U , N a N M H m n R m l , i O S O o G A P W D c l M S A a E A R M D E N I N N P I R A I U V , A N I R C a OUR HEROES H A n A i I o t S E L e s a i r n H a C D l e u A e N , n I d c , e , n S h I a A E a n n r G i a E S l , L A R R A e o V , , r F E a o R C N A n N D a I C N E I I s A L , S R n s u a s o S R i m A o S n S e O , R G A A T In this issue L EDITORIAL 3 EIGHT YearS ON – BeiNG Sir SteVE 4 CalM ENerGY – MicHelle GUerette 6 DOUBLE OR NotHING 8 Meet THE 2008 OLYMPIC CHAMpioNS 10 THE Great DANe 14 ASSESSING THEIR BEIJING perForMANce 16 PredictiNG BeiJING reSUltS: caN YOU Foretell THE FINISH? 18 ROWING’S ANSWER TO MICHAEL PHELPS 20 THE AGING OLYMpiaN deBate 22 THE OLYMpic FaN EXperieNce 25 IN YOUR wordS... 27 Meet THE 2008 ParalYMpic CHAMpioNS 29 StorMING INto THE ParalYMPIC GaMES 30 Great BritaiN’S ParalYMpic rowiNG SUcceSS 31 TOM AGGAR – ParalYMPIC CHAMPION 32 UNderStaNdiNG OlaF 33 THE OLYMPIC GAMES AND deVelopiNG coUNtrieS 35 www.tempo-tech.com © FISA EDITORIAL 2008before and beyond the Olympics 3 2008 was a year of firsts: the first time 100 nations took part in the Olympic qualification process, the first time a world-class rowing regatta was held in China, the first time China won an Olympic gold medal in rowing and the first time rowing Jean-Christophe Rolland (FRA) crowned Paralympic Champions. But 2008 also saw repeat performances, with video streaming or online social networks, Our heroes are those Olympians and coaches our rowing greats winning their second, third, rowing enthusiasts have provided support who have committed themselves entirely to fourth or even fifth Olympic gold medals. and motivation to the athletes they admire, their Olympic dreams – the dreams of going Increasingly, our heroes are staying at their encouraging them to achieve their bests. faster, but also the dreams of competing for peak longer than those in past years and the simple joy of it, whether winning a medal, decades. Although our sport does not allow Some nations left Beijing delighted with their reaching the podium or just getting there. rowers to win as many Olympic medals as in rowing performance, while others left hoping As Pierre de Coubertin said: “The important other sports at the Games, such as Michael to have achieved more. This is competition. thing in life is not victory but combat; it is not Phelps in swimming, rowing can boast Many challenges still remain in the area of to have vanquished but to have fought well.” exceptional athletes who keep on winning rowing development worldwide, but overall, This issue of World Rowing e-Magazine is again and again over years and years of our sport has developed at the Olympic dedicated to those who had the dreams and competition. level in a larger number of countries than did everything possible to achieve them. ever before and, as you will read from Thor Supporter circles around the world have found Nilsen, the technical level is higher. Rowing Jean-Christophe Rolland new ways to cheer their sporting heroes on. Federations are now once again making their Chair of FISA’s Athletes Commission Whether through television or telephone or plans and checking them twice, this time newer means of communication such as live with their focus set on London’s 2012. HEROES OF THE PAST British Olympic Champion Steve Redgrave celebrates winning his third Olympic gold EIGHT YEARS ON medal at the 1992 Olympic Steve Redgrave of Great Britain Games in Banyoles, Spain. with his five Olympic gold medals. – being Sir Steve The name is synonymous with rowing. No other rower has come close to his celebrity status. He is a brand himself. He is Sir Steve Redgrave. 4 In a sport that shies away from big names company employees. He is a personality, and big personalities, Redgrave is unique. His a celebrity. status is well-deserved. During Redgrave’s rowing career he not only picked up nine Redgrave stepped out of the rowing boat on World Championship titles, but his run of the 23rd of September 2000 and did not put five consecutive Olympic gold medals is a a foot back in for over a year. It took a beer- feat that has been achieved by less than a charged evening and the much younger handful of athletes in the entire history of the Olympic Champion Ben Hunt-Davis to talk Olympic Games.