fiNlaNd
Italy has seen more successful Olympic years,
winning only one medal – silver – in Beijing. But
Michele de Lauretis, Secretary General of the
Italian rowing federation, does not complain:
More than 20 years have gone by since Finland won an Olympic medal in rowing, back in the
days of legendary single sculler Pertti Karpinnen. In Beijing, Sanna Sten and Minna Nieminen
put an end to their nation’s Olympic rowing medal drought, grabbing silver in the lightweight
women’s double. “The National Olympic Committee has been intensively involved in our
Beijing 2008 lightweight women’s double project since 2004,” says Marleena Valtasola,
member of the Finnish Rowing Federation Executive Committee. “Currently it
seems that the support for rowing will grow. The additional financial support
will hopefully focus especially on coaching.” For London 2012, Finnish
rowing is planning to involve other promising athletes, although
Sten and Nieminen will remain the core of the team.
“I know how difficult it is to get a medal at the
Olympics, so I am very happy for the success of
Galtarossa and company in the men’s quadruple
sculls,” he says. “ The Olympic Games are really different
from the Rowing World Cup series and World Rowing
Championships. In Athens we won three bronze medals
and everyone within the rowing movement was unhappy;
in Beijing we won one silver and we have the same
© 2008 Getty Images
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situation, but this time some rowers are
satisfied and others not.”
Česká republika
CZECH rEPUBliC
PolaNd
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The 2008
Olympic
Rowing
Regatta was
the most successful
that Poland has ever experienced. With silver added to
gold, Beijing was one step up from Sydney and Athens.
This breakthrough did not happen overnight. “At the Games
preceding Sydney, Poland had won a total of 11 Olympic
medals, but never gold. It was a psychological barrier that was
very difficult to overcome,” says Richard Stadniuk, president of the
Polish Rowing Federation. “Sycz and Kucharski [lightweight men’s
double sculls] broke that barrier when they won gold in Sydney
and then in Athens.” By winning, Sycz and Kucharski became an
inspiration for rowers across the nation: “They showed Polish rowers
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In Beijing, the Czech Republic grabbed
its second ever Olympic medal in rowing. Both
of the medals were silver. Four of the six Czech crews
competing in Beijing qualified for the Olympic Final. “Our
results are the product of patient and systematic work. But
we expected more!” says Czech Head Coach Premysl
Panuska. Czech rowing has yet to earn Olympic gold and
the aim to do so in London drives single scullers Mirka
Knapkova and Ondrej Synek on. In view of the
next Olympics, Czech rowing is also seeking
to further develop its male sculling
crews – this has become the
task of newly recruited
Finnish coach
Veikko Sinisalo.
that it was possible
to reach the highest goals.
Competitors began to believe in
themselves more. Everyone wanted
to equal Sycz and Kucharski,” explains
Stadniuk. The men’s quadruple sculls became
their successors in Beijing.
Looking to London 2012, Poland is aiming to reach
new heights in women’s rowing. “We’ve never won
an Olympic medal in women’s rowing,” says Stadniuk.
“We have a rowing programme aimed at increasing
female rower representation at the London Games
and winning a medal there in a female boat class.”
The strategy seems to be promising as up-and-coming Polish female rowers have already made a
mark on the international scene, winning medals and
titles at world under- 23 level. ■ D. F.
