THE SPORT OF ROWING “After the initial start, Leander’s crew was rowing 40 strokes to the minute, and Navy 37. At the halfway mark, Leander jumped to 42 strokes per minute and tried to draw away for a safer lead, but the Navy stroke also went up two points to meet it, and at this terrific pace the two crews tore down the course.”1777 Gully Nickalls, British 7-seat: “We maintained a high rate of striking, yet, as is always the case when a crew is perfectly synchronized, we seemed to have plenty of time. It was all so smooth, powerful and effective. “Gradually we established an encouraging lead. If we could only keep this going we must win. It was a glorious feeling. “We were now three-quarters of a length ahead. Could we clear them and make certain of victory? We were still going well, but the Americans with a considerable advantage in weight were hanging on, fighting every inch of the way. “About two minutes from the finish they started to put on the pressure. I didn’t look at them. That would have been to jeopardize my time-keeping, but I could see them out of the corner of my eye. We made herculean efforts to stave off their attack. “Inexorably they gained.”1778 Glendon: “At the 1,500 meter mark, the Leander crew was still half a length ahead, and it began to look like England’s race, but the pace was too hot, and the Navy shell was hard to shake. “The Navy stroke went up to 40, and the American shell began to creep up. The Leander crew at this point began to falter.”1779 Nickalls: “There was only a hundred yards to go. They were alongside us, and with a bare fifteen seconds left they took the 1777 Glendon, pp. 208-10 1778 G.O. Nickalls, Rainbows, pp. 82-3 1779 Glendon, pp. 208-10 lead for the first time and got home by 4/5th of a second – in distance about six feet.”1780 Glendon: “The Navy crew in the last 300 yards of the race overcame a half-length lead and won by three-fourths of a length1781 in the world’s record time of 6 minutes and 2 3/5 seconds. “In the last few yards the winners were leaving the Leander crew four feet behind at every stroke. “It was a great race, and the Leander crew rowed well, but the American crew rowed better. The Navy crew held its form to the very last stroke, while the Leander crew was very ragged after passing the 1,500 meter mark. ”1782 Associated Press: “The Americans won by a half length sitting up and fresh, while the English Eight crossed the line bent over and utterly rowed out. The Annapolis crew finished in 6:05 for a new world’s record for 2,000 meters. England’s time was 6:05 4/5.”1783 There is no mention of weather conditions, but photos of the finish of the race suggest a light tailwind. Saint Sing: “This race haunted British Olympian Gully Nickalls for the rest of his life, as with Sidney Swann, who would tell his children that it was so great a race that he didn’t want to see it end.”1784 Finishing coach Cherry Pitman1785 of the British Eight, described with envy some of the advantages the Americans enjoyed in 1780 G.O. Nickalls, Rainbows, p. 83 1781 The Official Olympic Report lists the times as 6:02.6 and 6:05.8. This margin of 3.2 seconds suggests three-quarters of a length, but the photos indicate a margin of at most twelve feet, about 0.8 seconds. The Times of London and The New York Times (Associated Press) reported the times as 6:05 and 6:05.8. 1782 Glendon, pp. 208-10 1783 Navy Oarsmen Win by Half a Length, Associated Press, August 20, 1920 1784 Saint Sing, The Wonder Crew, p. 215 1785 See Chapter 15. 472
