World Rowing e-Magazine, Autumn/Winter 2005

Four years later at Montreal, Nash coached three boats including the women’s pair. “I’d help start the national women’s rowing association which was later merged with US Rowing.”

with a group of former international competitors. Together they race in as many events as they’re allowed. “It’s a mental relief from all the stress of coaching and I wind up with such a positive feeling to the season,” says Nash.

The US boycott of the Moscow Olympics denied Nash of an unbroken Olympic run. “Anita De Frantz [FISA’s current vice president] and I spoke on TV against Jimmy Carter’s decision. It didn’t change anything despite overwhelming support.”

photo thanks to Eric Hamilton

Ted Nash at the World Rowing Masters Regatta in 2004. / Ted Nash à la Régate mondiale d'aviron masters en 2004.

Nash doesn’t count 1984 in his Olympic total. “I wasn’t directly on the team. I was there as an advisor.” Back on board as a coach in Seoul, Nash got to revisit Korea, the country he knew from the Korean War. He was impressed by the enthusiastic greeting. “Thousands of school kids would scream very hard for the US because they’d been told about the Korean War.”

Nash can add up over 150 Olympic athletes that he has worked with including Olympic medallist Tom Bohrer who rowed on the US national team from 1988 to 1993. Bohrer describes Nash as a real tough man. “He never asked you to do anything that he wouldn’t do himself,” says Bohrer. “He really takes care of his people, even outside of rowing. He would lend you money, help you find a job. He helped me develop who I am.”

Standing nearly two metres tall, Ted Nash is fit, healthy and makes his 73 years look decades less. Involved in rowing since he was eight, Nash has become a living icon of United States rowing, so much so that at his tenth Olympic Games (Athens 2004) Nash’s role was as a mentor for the soon-to-become gold medal men’s eight. His prediction at the start of the regatta was: “The men’s eight is capable of doing sub 5. 20.” And he was right.

In 1992 Nash was back with the men’s four. “We’d been trading wins with [Australia's] Oarsome Foursome.” Nash still speaks highly of oarsome member James Tomkins. “He’d help everyone, and then race you to death.”

Bohrer says there’s also an element of mystery surrounding Nash. “We were in Italy (1989) on a train trip and it was about 11pm. I was going to sleep. Ted was dressed in a black leather jacket and dark clothes. I asked him where he was going. ‘I can’t tell you.’Apparently someone wanted to defect to the US. Ted was helping out.”

Nash’s love affair with rowing began when he was in the military as a pilot and teaching anti-guerrilla warfare. Somehow he managed to squeeze rowing into his schedule and journey to his first Olympic Games in Rome in 1960, picking up a gold medal in the men’s four.

Atlanta was a difficult time. “For Americans it was the first time we were aware of the possibility of terrorism. My memory is that it wasn’t a happy atmosphere.” Nash calls Sydney 2000 “the return to joy”.

photo thanks to Eric Hamilton

Athens brought back
military memories for
Nash who had been there
in the late 1950s teaching
flying. “It’s now 44 years
since my first Olympics,”
Nash commented from the
shores of the Schinias rowing course.
“I feel like a little kid.”

Ted Nash (second from right) at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome with his gold medal coxless four teammates. He was nicknamed "Tiny" at the time. / Ted Nash (deuxième depuis la droite) aux Jeux Olympiques de Rome en 1960 en compagnie de ses coéquipiers médaillés d'or en quatre de pointe. A l'époque on le surnommait « Tiny » - «Le Minus» en Français.

After competing again in the four at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Nash turned his hand to coaching and at Mexico City in 1968 the men’s coxed four were in his charge. His crew finished fifth.

Then in Munich in 1972 Nash was coaching the men’s coxed pair. Racing had finished and Nash was staying with members of the British shooting team. They were one building over from the terrorist kidnappings of the Israeli athletes. “I offered to the Germans that we could help. They said no. We were a little offended.”

Nash continues to coach and currently has in his charge the women’s lightweight double that finished second at this year’s World Rowing Championships. After coaching, Nash rows himself. “I’m a fanatic,” says Nash who trains every day.

Renee Hykel along with Julia Nichols of the silver medal lightweight double are currently in Nash’s charge. Hykel describes Nash’s intensity: “After we came home from Japan [World Rowing Championships] we did an 18-mile fun race. A lot of crews take it easy. We show up and Ted’s gotten down to the boathouse early. He’s waxed the boat, has a race plan all set out. He biked along beside our race and cheered us on for the whole 18 miles.”