THE SPORT OF ROWING “But because the Four was what they used to call a ‘B’ crew in those days in New Zealand, they put us in the position of not actually knowing until maybe about eight weeks prior to the Olympics as to whether or not we were going to even go, so we did a twelve-week training in Christchurch still fully unaware whether or not we were going. “I can describe the row to you when we first knew we were fast. It was only about two weeks prior to the announcement by our national Olympic organization as to who was going to go and who wasn’t, and I think it was a still pretty close run thing, to be honest. “We were training at the Avon Rowing Club5618 [in Wainoni, near Christchurch on the South Island], and that day we were scheduled to go across what we called the Sumner Estuary. We rowed down the Avon River as far the last bridge [about 4k], and then it was about a 5 or 6k run across to the far side of the estuary. “And we were very keen to run ourselves against the Eight this particular day. God only knows why, but we said, ‘We are going to get to the far side first!’ and we worked out a little strategy as to how we were going to do it. “First thing you have to do, of course, is get through that last little bridge in first place because only one boat at a time could get through, so we managed to achieve that, 5618 Today, Avon Rowing Club is a very active place. In 2009, Google Maps photographed 38 shells: singles, doubles, quads, fours and eights, on the Avon River between the boathouse and the estuary downstream. Nine more shells were clearly visible outside the boathouses or on the dock. http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=174284 9538244519831&q=avon+rowing+club+christch urch+nz&gl=us Susan Mallory Dudley Storey and friend in 2010 and we started off across the estuary probably about two lengths in front of them. “We managed to gather their speed, rating about 2 or 3 points higher obviously. And then we said, ‘We are not going to let these bastards pass . . . today we are not going to let them pass.’ “Bob Page was steering the Eight, and we overheard him say, ‘Come on. We’ve got to get alongside this four. They are just sitting on your bow.’ So they went up 1 point. “They were doing about 18. We were doing 21 or so. As soon as they started to creep up, we inched it up a couple. After the first k had gone past, the second k comes up. “‘They’re still sitting on your bow, so get past,’ and up they went another notch. “Well, by the time we got to the far side of the estuary, they were at 34 or something, and we were at about 38, and we had nowhere else to go, not by the end of that 6k, and they got us right at the very, very end . . . but we said to ourselves, ‘We now know that this is fast. We now know!’ Because they just couldn’t get past, no matter what they did, and that was a very fast eight! They were set for a medal! 1546
