INTERNATIONAL ROWING TURNS PROFESSIONAL course with the broken blade flapping. The Lakers ended up a distant second to Great Britain.”3549 Stan Pocock: “With the broken piece hanging on by the copper tip, Ted had to wrestle with the damaged oar all the way down the course – an almost superhuman effort. Still, they finished second to Britain. “After the race, the British stroke [and captain], Christopher Davidge, came over. He had heard that Ted had broken a ‘blyde’ and asked whether this had affected their performance. Ted quickly broke in to say that it had not, and that they had done their best. Ted congratulated him and his crew on their win and urged them to go after the [favored] Germans [in the final]. “Later, in private, he showed me his arm.3550 It was blown up like a balloon from the struggle he had just endured. “His effort on the water that day was a great display of fortitude, his actions on shore a great display of gamesmanship.”3551 Georg Meyers: “Immediately afterward in a practice row, they hit a buoy again. This time Ayrault broke an oar.”3552 With only one crew advancing to the final from their repêchage, the Americans lined up against that summer’s European Champions from RC Germania Düsseldorf of West Germany. Meyers: “Germany had goofed off in its preliminary and was forced into the repêchage after a photo finish with the Italians.”3553 3549 Georg N. Meyers, U.S. Crews Need ‘Miracle’ – Pocock, The Seattle Times, September 3, 1960 3550 The left forearm had turned blue! 3551 S. Pocock, p. 181 3552 Meyers, op. cit. 3553 Meyers, op. cit. Georg Meyers spoke to Dan Ayrault before the repêchage: “‘These are the toughest crews I ever saw,’ said Ayrault, who rowed with Findlay and Kurt Seiffert for a Gold Medal in Melbourne four years ago. “‘Now our perspective has changed. We’ll feel lucky to get into the final.’”3554 Down by nearly a length of open water to the fast-starting Germans after 500 meters, Lake Washington set out to reel them in during the middle 1,000. They The Seattle Times Georg N. Meyers finally caught up with about 600 meters to go and won by open water, advancing to the final and breaking by nearly four seconds the new Olympic record set by the British just the day before. The Final In the Olympic final, Great Britain led the Soviets by a deck after 500 meters with the United States again more than a length and a half behind the leaders. The British then quickly slipped to the back of the field with their bow-seat weakened by illness.3555 In their absence, the Soviets took over first, and as the field as a whole slowed, the U.S. took over second by the 1,000, three seats ahead of the Italian Moto Guzzi crew but still a deck of open water down on the Soviets. The third 500 saw the Americans pull away from Italy and close to within three- quarters of a length of the Soviets, while the Czechs moved up even with the Italians for third. The fourth 500 was all USA and Italy. As the Czechs faded out of the medals, the leading Soviets were passed by the 3554 Meyers, op. cit. 3555 See Chapter 78. 975
