World Rowing e-Magazine, Spring 2006

on the rowing map

Finland boasts the biggest rowing regatta in the world and archaeological remains of rowing boats that date back thousands of years. But it took two lightweight women to bring the nation its first rowing medal at elite international level in 18 years. Sanna Sten and Minna Nieminen made Finland proud at last year’s World Rowing Championships by finishing third in the lightweight women’s double and breaking a rowing medal drought that has existed since the days of Pertti Karppinen’s domination.

1,000m race and, because in skiing the distances are longer, I thought it would be a piece of cake. It wasn’t.»

The duo have been together since 2004 when they attempted to be the sole Finnish rowing qualifiers for the Athens Olympics. A split second on the clock was not on their side. Sten and Nieminen missed out by an agonisingly close 0.12 of a second.

They both consider their Rowing World Cup win in Munich 2005 as their favourite race and after last year’s efforts the duo became Finland’s crew of the year with Nieminen becoming the 2005 top female athlete for Finland.

Nieminen: “My skiing coach put me in a rowing church boat ( 14+) and I was then asked to try a real rowing boat. I had no idea what Olympic rowing or Olympic rowing boats were before that.”

“Sten and Nieminen
balance each other’s

Success for Sten and Nieminen means they both receive a scholarship from Finland’s ministry of education. This allows the duo to be full-time athletes in the spring and summer. The rest of the year they still remain active in their sport, training regularly twice a day, with jobs that lend themselves well to rowing. Sten works as a Physical Education instructor while Nieminen helps sell rowing machines.

differences”

This didn’t deter the duo and, despite their differences, the double have one thing very much in common – the aim to race at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Coach Veikko Sinisalo believes Sten and Nieminen balance each other’s differences to help make the boat go fast.

“Nieminen, who strokes the boat, is a thinker,” says Sinisalo. “She senses and feels the boat all the time. Sten follows and of course tries her best to let the boat flow easily. Sten relies on power and Nieminen more on preciseness and clean rowing.”

Both came to rowing with no knowledge of the sport.

Skiing dominates the Finnish sporting landscape and both rowers name skiers as athletes that they admire. Marjut Rolig, an Olympic gold medallist in skiing, gives Sten sporting inspiration. For Nieminen skier Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi was her idol especially when Nieminen skied as her main sport. Nieminen and Sten are both accomplished skiers and they still use cross-country skiing for their winter cross-training.

The duo resort to separate methods for handling pre-race tension. Sten fills out crosswords and spends a lot of time thinking while Nieminen listens to music.

Sten: “Back in 1999 I accidentally went to an indoor rowing race and eventually found my way to a boat. It’s funny because I sat on the machine beside Minna’s without knowing her. It was a

Coach Sinisalo has high expectations for his crew and as qualification for the Beijing Olympics draws nearer the goal becomes clearer. M.S.B.■

Sinisalo comments that their individuality adds to the strength of the crew and their bronze-medal win has already inspired others to row. “Their success has also put rowing back on the sports news for the first time since Pertti Karppinen`s days,” says Sinisalo. “We have some younger girls coming up already.”

The duo are still relatively new as a partnership and both agree they need to do a lot more racing before they tackle the Olympics. Racing at the World Rowing Championships and Rowing World Cups is very much in their plans. Minna Nieminen (left) and Sanna Sten win bronze in Gifu. / Minna Nieminen (gauche) et Sanna