World Rowing e-Magazine, December 2008

Not all Olympic rowers had their friends and family on site to support them in Beijing. How did those back home cheer for their heroes?

The Olympic Fan Experience

gold medal winning men’s eight, to share his Olympic moments. With Beijing being too far away, the 2:30am live television broadcast of his race became an opportunity for a late night TV viewing party in Canada. Hamilton’s sister Karen hosted a couple dozen anxious supporters at their parents’ house for a rowdy red and white barbecue. “We all screamed at the TV and chanted CA-NA-DA so loud I’m sure we woke up the neighbours!” says Karen.

How did family and friends of olympic rowers share the Beijing experience from back home? since the advent of television broadcasting at the 1936 olympic Games, the olympic spectacle has been brought to living rooms around the globe. But more recently, internet and social media technologies such as facebook have begun to change how fans connect with their favorite olympic rowers.

The boathouse on Elk Lake, where Canada’s gold medal eight and silver medal pair trained tirelessly over the last four years, was the scene of an even larger party to view the Finals on the big screen, with junior rowers in pyjamas excited to stay up late, wildly cheering masters rowers, and Rowing Canada officials such as Domestic Development Director Jennifer Browett. “The Olympic viewing party was amazing,” says Browett. “It was incredible to see the looks on some of the junior rowers’ faces as they watched local rowers Dave Calder and Kevin Light receive their Olympic medals. It was literally watching the torch being passed on.”

Across the border in the United States in the city of Seattle, each fan of hometown favourite Anna Cummins, five seat in the gold medal women’s eight, had a unique experience watching her race. “NBC didn’t show our women’s eight Final until around prime time Sunday night,” says Cummins. “I have heard story after story of people staying up until 2am watching the race on their computer while having another one of my family or friends on the telephone. One of my favourite parts about coming home after the Olympics was hearing the stories of how people watched my race.”

A Canadian fan

Without live television coverage, rowing fans in many parts of the world relied on other technologies.

Fans of women’s single silver medallist Michelle Guerette (USA) listened to a phone call from her coach, Charlie Butt, who narrated her race from the bike as he followed her along the course.