THE LONG ECLIPSE OF AMERICAN ROWING Kirkland Photo 1967 European Championship Men’s Eights Final Vichy, France 200 meters to go From left: URS, USA, GDR, AUS, FRG, NED (not in photo) 1 FRG 6:04.89, 2 USA 6:06.46, 3 URS 6:06.49 USA: Bow Dave Higgins 6’1” 188cm 194lb. 88kg, 2 Cleve Livingston 6’2” 191cm 180lb. 82kg, 3 Jake Fiechter 6’4” 193cm 198lb. 90kg, 4 Fritz Hobbs 6’3” 193cm 199lb. 90kg, 5 Scott Steketee 6’4” 196cm 214lb. 97kg, 6 Andy Larkin 6’5” 196cm 213lb. 97kg, 7 Curt Canning 6’3” 193cm 201lb. 91kg, Stroke Ian Gardiner 6’3” 191cm 184lb. 83kg, Coxswain Paul Hoffman “Five . . . up for 10 . . . down for 20 . . . and settle. Pause out of bow, let the boat run out, and fall into that life-giving groove. The rhythm was good we were into the body. “Ratzeburg was right beside us. “At 1,000 meters, New Zealand and Australia were several lanes to port, but our specific concern was Ratzeburg. “We were within striking range going to the last 500, but from there, we fell off. Our rhythm suffered a little, and with it, the balance. But more than anything, the other boats began to move on us. “We finished fourth – more than nine seconds behind New Zealand, by lesser margins to Australia and Ratzeburg. “Something I discovered on reaching the dock, we had not been clocked below 40 in the first 500, nor below 39 in the next! This explained a world of things. “We had trained to row 36 or 37. That was our racing cadence. Ratzeburg races at 40, not Harvard. In the pressure of a big one, we had been too tense, too ready to win on every stroke. That was, I thought, why our pace fell off so badly in the second 1,000. “And New Zealand had won playing our game; they rowed at 36. “At the boathouse, I began to discover the most awkward, uncomfortable part of rowing – accepting condolences.”4654 Their next regatta was the U.S. Nationals in a very rainy Philadelphia against New Zealand, Australia and Vesper 4654 Canning, op. cit., pp. 68-9 1289
