THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT country he termed ‘the land of the cuckoo clock.’”6691 Quarrell: “During his Swiss years he began to hop continents, taking short-term coaching jobs and spreading his unique perspective to crews in America, Great Britain, South Africa and Australia. It didn’t matter where: Mahon’s only interest was in getting the most speed possible out of the boat, whoever was sitting in it.”6692 It is interesting to note that by the 2000 Olympics, Müller had become more of a Modern Orthodox sequential rower, and he looked not quite as fluid as he was being beaten to Silver by another Mahon protégé, New Zealand’s Rob Waddell. Müller: “I had a chest cold during the final. I did not even think that I would medal. I completely ran out of power at 500 meters to go. “My stroke acceleration broke down.”6693 “I was great for 1,500 meters, and then I died. That was bad . . . “The commentator said, ‘Waddell is pulling away!’ but actually I was going in the other direction.”6694 Xeno Müller barely held on to the Silver behind Waddell. Rob Waddell Rob Waddell of New Zealand and his wife, Sonia, also a New Zealand international single sculler, were both coached by Harry Mahon. Xeno: “Rob Waddell is probably the most modest huge champion that I have ever met. Really good! Hands down! If I’m a fan of anyone, how he copes with things, it’s Rob because he’s so open.”6695 6691 The Times of London, op. cit. 6692 Quarrell, op. cit. 6693 Müller, personal correspondence, 2008 6694 Müller, personal conversation, 2008 6695 Müller, op. cit. Rob: “The first time I was actually coached by Harry was in 1994, not long after I left school. It was in the second year, so I would have been nineteen. My brother and I were working and living at home on a farm which was about an hour away from [Lake Karapiro], and we would drive up, row in the evening, stay the night with Harry, and then go out rowing again in the morning. We did this every second night, so we got to know Harry as well personally as we did as a coach. He often cooked meals and took meals with us. He became quite a family friend. “He first coached me in the coxless-pair, then in ‘95 in the four, and again in ‘96 when I first got into the single. I think Harry had an ability to sort of see a way straight to the top for people and see natural ability and natural athleticism. “Harry was a mentor, an inspirational kind of character who was one of the first people who got me to believe that I could achieve whatever I wanted to. He put the thought in my mind and got me dreaming. “The first time I hopped into a single, I did really well in New Zealand.”6696 Rob gradually rose from failing to make the World singles final in 19976697 to winning the World Championship in 1998 and ‘99 and the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000. Waddell’s technique followed the Mahon pattern: smooth, “endless-chain” rhythm, Modern Orthodox concurrent legs and back with late arm draw and moderate layback ending in a ferryman’s finish. Rob: “I think Harry will always be remembered in New Zealand as a rhythmical, technical coach. I think he contrasted with some of the coaches around at the moment who are very workload- 6696 Waddell, op. cit. 6697 See Chapter 149. hybrid- 1849
