THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT Storey: “So in the final we did 30 strokes, and the 30 was just enough. That was the tipping point. By the time of the final, an American magazine was calling it ‘the Kiwi blitz.’ “And that’s how we raced. We didn’t want to get sucked into what the medicos were saying. “‘We know we’re fast, and all we have to do is bury these people somewhere down the course.’”5623 Palenski & Maddaford: “They had a slender margin as they raced away from the start. The New Zealanders were steady and controlled in their rating. It was smooth and rhythmic, Dickie (the coxswain) quietly giving his commands and encouragement. “By the 500 metres they had increased their lead. Everything was going to plan. At the halfway mark, the lead was more substantial, and the shouts from the stands carried out sharply across the water. ‘Black, Black, Black.’ “East Germany lifted its rating, and so did the straining Swiss. Italy lifted as well but could not bridge the gap to either the East Germans or the Swiss, and least of all the New Zealanders.”5624 The Kiwis pulled out 3.11 seconds ahead of GDR at the 1,000, with the rest of the field a half length or more further astern. That was it. They expanded their lead to nearly five seconds at the 1,500 and still had 2.58 seconds in hand on GDR as they crossed the line. 1 NZL 2 GER 3 SUI 4 ITA 5 USA 6 URS 6:45.62 6:48.20 6:49.04 6:49.54 6:51.415625 7:00.00 5623 Storey, op. cit. 5624 Palenski & Maddaford, pp. 168-9 5625 For the U.S. perspective, see Chapter 95. Palenski & Maddaford: “The lead was maintained as the boats skimmed in front of the stands. The strain was almost intolerable, the muscles crying for relief. “Then the line. “The boat with the number 4 on its bow and the five men in black sped through the finish in 6 mins. 45.6 secs.”5626 1968 Eight At Xochimilco, the race experiences of the Kiwi Eight began in a pattern similar to that of their Four. In their heat, they separated themselves relatively early on by open water over GDR and the Soviets and then stroked it in 3.86 seconds ahead. 1 NZL 2 GDR 3 URS 4 NED 5 USA 6 GBR 6:05.62 6:09.48 6:09.65 6:12.23 6:15.425627 6:22.20 Wybo Veldman, 7-seat: “That was always Rusty’s tactic. You hit them right from the outset, get out in front and stay there.”5628 With no semi-finals, their next race would be the final. The Final In the final, they again led the field at 500 meters, but when they made their bid to break their opponents, the West Germans stayed close. The Kiwis managed to pull out only a 1.22 second margin by the 1,000. Veldman: “It felt tight from the start, but we had a lead at the 500. We were still leading at the 1,000.”5629 5626 Palenski & Maddaford, p. 169 5627 For the U.S. perspective, see Chapter 102. 5628 Veldman, personal conversation, 2010 5629 Ibid. 1549
