ASSESSING THEIR BEIJING PERFORMANCE
Great Britain topped the rowing medals table in Beijing. With
two gold, two silver and two bronze medals, they amassed their
highest medal tally since the 1908 Games. They have reason
to be proud.
Can a nation’s performance be assessed solely on the basis of medal count?
Looking back on the 2008 Olympic Games, World Rowing assesses a handful of
countries that have just experienced their best Games and others that enjoyed
more satisfying results at previous Games. What hides behind the numbers?
What should be expected in the future?
16
BULGARIA
Réécrire comme suit: All Bulgarian eyes turned
to rowing when fellow citizen RumyanaNeykova
became Bulgaria’s only Olympic Champion at the 2008
Games. She won gold in the women’s single sculls at Shunyi
Olympic Rowing Park. Bulgaria had last won Olympic gold in
rowing over 30 years ago at the Montreal Games in 1976. “Rumyana’s
gold medal will have an impact on rowing in Bulgaria,” says Bulgarian
Rowing Federation President Svetla Otzetova. “The sport will be better
supported by the government, and its popularity has substantially
increased.” As for the future development of the sport in
Bulgaria, Otzetova says: “We are now looking for
talent at the junior level and trying to keep
them through to the under- 23 level. If
you don’t support rowers financially
they will leave the sport. Now we
have the finances to support
both the rowers and
coaches.”
я
CHINA
Host nation China topped the overall medal table at the
© 2008 AFP
2008 Olympic Games with 51 gold medals. In rowing, however,
China might have hoped for more. The results of its crews over the
past few years were at times brilliant, showing the country’s determination
to collect as many Olympic medals as possible in a sport which had not received
much attention previously, and at other times inconsistent. China, however, finished
the Olympic Rowing Regatta with the satisfaction of having won its first ever Olympic
rowing gold, thanks to its women’s quadruple sculls crew, as well as an Olympic silver. “I am
very excited and proud about the first gold medal that the Chinese rowing team won at
the Olympic Games. We were waiting for this gold medal for 20 years!” says Zhang Qing, Vice-
President of the Chinese Rowing Association. “For many years, various Chinese clubs have been
recruiting a lot of foreign coaches and technicians to work with the local people. Due to our past
achievements in women’s rowing, we will certainly continue
to attach big importance to female competitive rowing,”
says Qing. “This is why our team has had good results
for the past years. But our men’s team has also
progressed, as seen in Beijing.”
