THE SPORT OF ROWING Steve Redgrave trying for his fifth consecutive Olympic Gold Medal.6434 In selection, Green was out with a viral infection. The top coxless-four turned out to be the Stewart brothers with Ben Dodwell and Bo Hanson, experienced internationals put together at UTS [University of Technology, Sydney] Haberfield.6435 The top pair were the Stewart brothers, with Ginn and McKay second and Tomkins seventh rowing with substitute Richard Wearne.6436 When the Stewarts were given the choice of competing internationally in a pair or a four, they chose the coxless-four. The selectors then nominated Ginn and McKay to the coxless-pair and the now-healthy Green and Tomkins to the eight based in Sydney. The latter two explained the impracticality of them leaving their homes in Melbourne, and so the selectors came up with the alternative plan of Green and Tomkins in the coxed-pair and the four of them in the coxed-four.6437 And so began a glorious final chapter of the saga of the Oarsome Foursome. This was a volatile group with Ginn, the young addition in combination with three grizzled veterans, and with Tomkins’ presumed role as the leader challenged since 1996 with McKay taking over at stroke. By 1998, Tomkins was back in the stroke seat. Green: “Michael can be an arsehole in training, but you wouldn’t want anyone else in the boat.”6438 Ginn: “It’s not just getting a Gold Medal that drives Mike. It’s being number one, and it used to eat him up having people discuss James’s talent and saying how he made rowing look so easy. Up until 1992, 6434 See Chapter 136. 6435 Haberfield is a suburb of Sydney. 6436 See Chapter 154. 6437 Yallop, p. 145 6438 Ibid, p. 115 James was always regarded as the best oarsman in the country and could rest on his laurels. But as time went on, Michael was getting closer and closer and closer. “I think there’s more mutual respect between James and Michael than ever before because each has won it his way. In 1992, it was very easy, which is how James was always seen, while 1996 was more of a gritty, ballsy race, which was a reflection of Michael.”6439 The first European regatta was at Hazewinkel in Belgium, and when the coxed-pair field turned out to be very weak, the four reluctantly agreed that both boats should row the coxless-pair. The race was won by a fast German pair made up of Robert Sens of Münchener R.C. and Detlef Kirchhoff of Berliner R.C. Green and Tomkins came second and Ginn and McKay fourth. McKay was furious.6440 In Amsterdam, they sidestepped the issue and combined with the UTS guys and rowed an eight which won the race in a time only 0.7 seconds off the world record.6441 The UTS Four then skipped Henley, so the Foursome jumped into a coxless-four and entered the Stewards’ Cup against the defending World Champions, Pinsent, Foster, Redgrave and Cracknell from Great Britain.6442 In their meeting, Australia drew the Bucks station, and Britain Berks. Yallop: “The gun went off, prompting roars from the crowd, and the British Four responded by moving quickly away from the Australians. By the 500-metre mark, they had a lead of about one length, and each announcement by the official race caller of the growing margin between the two boats brought greater cheers from the spectators. 6439 Ibid, p. 139 6440 Ibid, p. 149 6441 Ibid, p. 151 6442 See Chapter 136. 1778
