How many rowers would choose to go as hard as they could for
2000 metres at their key event of the year and then turn around
and do it all again in another boat class? In 1987 Sir Steve
Redgrave did it successfully. The debate began.
for no rest days. It is also viewed
by some that women”s events are easier and that men are able to race harder therefore requiring more recovery time.
Redgrave’s double-up coincided
with FISA commission discussions
on how to improve the number of
entries in the men’s and women’s
eights at the World Rowing
Championships, resulting in the
establishment of A and B Groups .
This facilitated the potential to row
in two events but not have to race
them on the same day. Obvious
combinations were separated by a
day like the pair and the eight.
Roman points to Romania’s 2006
results at Eton where neither their
women’s eight nor their doubled-up pair medalled. “It is not good
to double up when the rowers are
less experienced. You risk rowing
a big number of races to qualify
for the finals,” says Roman.
doubling up for its development
attributes. “Basically it gives
our athletes as much racing
as possible, especially with
the younger athletes coming
through.” And in training? “We
see that training, whether it is in
pairs, fours or eights, can all help
the other boats.”
But Roman also sees the benefit.
“When you have a small number
of very good rowers then you can
get two medals.”
Roman further suggests a
physiological element: women are
able to prepare better for longer
endurance efforts.
United States women’s coach Tom
Terhaar agrees, “The small boats
are helping our eights rowing.”
Terhaar’s eight won gold but,
he says, doubling up may have
hurt the pair and double a little.
“Mentally it’s harder and easier;
you don’t have any time “off”,
but when you get back in the big
boat you can just pull hard.”
Doubling up remains rare.
M.S.B.■
“We thought there was going to
be a lot more doubling up than
there was,” says FISA Executive
Director Matt Smith. “But the A
and B formula was still supported
by coaches who liked having a day
of rest for their athletes between
races.”
This year at Eton a group of
Australian women managed
double success. The crew of
Jo Lutz, Amber Bradley, Kate
Hornsey and Robyn Selby Smith
won gold in the four and bronze
in the eight. Selby Smith says
doubling up is considered an
honour. “Everyone wants to do
it and it gave us something to do
during the week.”
Since then a handful of countries
have chosen to double up.
Romanian Georgeta Andrunache-Damian became famously
successful at it spending most
of her career racing the pair and
eight and winning four gold
medals from two Olympic Games.
Canada’s Marnie McBean and
Kathleen Heddle also proved
successful, winning gold in the
pair and eight at the 1991 World
Rowing Championships and the
1992 Olympic Games.
Despite theearly doublesuccessof
Redgrave it remains
more common
to see women
double up. The
suggested reasons
for this are varied.
Oneideacitesthat
more entries in the
men”seventsmeans
a greater probability
of crews having to
row repechages and
semifinals allowing
© Peter Spurrier / Intersport - Images
The crew knew that the Olympic
class boat, the eight, was the
priority. “We were told not to get
too emotionally involved with
the four,” says Selby Smith. “The
four was used as a stepping stone
to the eight.”
Martin has doubled up for the last
three years and says she is used to
it. “Once you know you are doing
two events you just get on with the
job and don’t let it worry you.”
© Dominik Keller
Steve Redgrave and Andy Holmes (GBR) won two medals at the 1988 Olympic Games in
Seoul, Korea: a gold in the pair and a bronze in the coxed pair with Patrick Sweeney. / Steve
Redgrave et Andy Holmes (GBR) ont remporté deux médailles aux JO de 1988 à Séoul, en
Corée du Sud: l’une d’or en deux de pointe et l’autre de bronze en deux de pointe barré
avec Patrick Sweeney.
Canadian coach Al Morrow
says originally the idea was to
support the women’s eight race.
“To our surprise it worked well
and it became a normal part of
our system until 2003. But,” adds
Morrow, “it is always a detriment
to go in two events versus one.”
After finishing with bronze in the
eight Selby Smith admits, “I didn’t
feel any physical effect from the
four, but I do wonder if it had a
little effect on the eight’s result.”
Despite Romania’s success,
honorary coach Mircea Roman
notes the detriment of doubling up:
“It creates short-term advantages,”
says Roman. “For two Olympic
cycles we used a small number of
very good rowers, but in the long
term, by not letting young rowers
race, we didn’t allow new rowers
to grow in their shadow.”
From the athletes’ perspective both
Selby Smith and teammate Emily
Martin agree that being able to
train in a variety of boats is a huge
psychological advantage. “We have
selection in late April,” says Martin.
“It’s quite a long stint so we enjoy
training in different boats.”
Australia’s women’s sweep coach
Darren Balmforth supports
