THE ERA OF POLARIZATION FISA 1994 Video Anne Kakela Women’s Coxless-Four 1994 Silver Medal Eagle Creek FISA 1996 Video Anne Kakela Women’s Eight 1996 Fourth Place Lake Lanier Kakela was one of the most accomplished U.S. rowers of her era, with four Silvers and one Gold between 1993 and 1995. She was self-conscious that she was not one of the larger athletes on the squad and would lay back a bit further than the norm to match the length of her teammates. mood,’ “‘They’re probably not in the best Buschbacher acknowledges. ‘They’re training all the time. Training, training, training. It gets boring.’”8049 Kakela: “We went over to Duisberg, Germany and Lucerne, Switzerland [They won.] from May 20 to June 3. Then we were in Elkhart, Indiana from June 6 to 27. After that, we went to Oak Ridge, Tennessee for about a week and then Augusta, Georgia for about ten days and finally Gainseville, Georgia to train prior to Opening Ceremonies.”8050 Lianne Nelson fought to the last day of selection for a spot in the 1996 Olympic Eight. She didn’t make it. The boat ended up unchanged from 1995 with the exception of Tranel-Michini and Fallon exchanging seats in the middle of the boat, but the brutal pressure of endless selection had bonded the crew to a remarkable extent. Mary McCagg: “We’re like sisters now, and we all trust each other implicitly about everything.”8051 Time Magazine: “It should be noted, however, that these ‘sisters’ are also world- class competitors, that to win their places in the boat they spent months competing against one another in pairs, that most of them are more than 6 ft. tall and weigh upwards of 160 lbs.”8052 Fuller: “Hartmut had very high expectations in the ‘96 quadrennial. I am closer with that group of athletes than any other group because we worked hard! The Annie Kakelas, Betsy and Mary McCagg, Monica, Cat, Jen Dore, Laurel Korholz, Yaz. We were a tight knit group because we were all in, every single day, all in!”8053 1996 Technique Most individuals who have rowed for any amount of time have experienced a boat that feels better on some days and worse on 8049 Elizabeth Gleick, 8 Live Crew, Time Magazine, June 28, 1996 8050 Kakela, op. cit. 8051 Gleick, op. cit. 8052 Ibid. 8053 Fuller Kearney, op. cit. 2247