THE SPORT OF ROWING Don Rowlands, long-time NZ Team Manager during the Eric Craies era: “I was out on the TV boat with Conn Findlay,6663 and twelve strokes into the final of the eights, he turned to me and said, ‘No medal for New Zealand today.’ “Harry had taken David Rodger, an outstanding 6- man, and put him in the 2- seat, thus in my view destroying the rhythm of a once very fast crew.”6664 Seven-seat Herb Steven- son after the final: “I’m glad that race is finished. Shows we’re all human, I suppose. We won two and lost one, I suppose. “Bugger of a one to lose.”6665 Stroke-seat Mike Stanley: “It was a huge lost opportunity, but we have all had to live with it. “I’m not really interested in getting involved in a conversation as to why it happened. To me, that is something between the crew, and we probably wouldn’t all necessarily agree. Having any one person’s view reported wouldn’t be appropriate, in my mind. “It happened . . . it will happen to others again. Sport’s like that – it’s about risk, and you have to live with the positives and negatives. “I was privileged to be in a crew that at their peak won two out of three events that mattered. It was a wonderful time of my life, and I have much to thank Harry and all those who raced or got close to racing in 6663 two-time U.S. Olympic Coxed-Pair Gold Medalist. See Chapter 82. 6664 Rowlands, personal correspondence, 2009 6665 Pieces of Eight, op. cit. Pieces of Eight 1984 New Zealand Men’s Eight Waiting for the starter’s command. those crews, our Manager Dudley Storey and Rowing NZ for the opportunity – it was a blast!”6666 Cross: “The New Zealand Coxless-Four won the Gold Medal in Los Angeles Olympics. To me, they were the best crew in the Games,6667 and though coached by Brian Hawthorne, they rowed in the inimitable Mahon Style.”6668 The final result for the New Zealand Men in 1984 was Gold in the coxless-fours, Bronze behind two extraordinary crews, Great Britain6669 and the United States,6670 in the coxed-fours, and fourth in the eights, an 6666 Stanley, personal correspondence, 2008 6667 this from a member of the 1984 Olympic Champion British Coxed-Four, the boat that won Steve Redgrave the first of his five Olympic Gold Medals. See Chapter 130. 6668 Cross, p. 47 6669 See Chapter 130. 6670 See Chapter 124. 1842
