THE ERA OF POLARIZATION The Long-Term Impact of Hartmut Buschbacher Fuller: “We all succeed or we all fail together, and that’s what’s hard about the history of the ‘90s to me. There were some great triumphs. I mean in ‘93 for a team that was such a baby to get two Silver Medals . . . and again in ‘94! “I think that Hartmut changed the face of U.S. rowing for women. I feel like he brought us to a whole new level of expectation. Not that they weren’t winning before . . . because they were, and not that they didn’t have great coaches before . . . because they did, but we committed ourselves to an Olympic experience full time year-round for four years. “We all moved to Chattanooga, and we lived there for four years before Atlanta! “Hartmut set the standard that women have got to be fit. When I think about the ‘91 and ‘92 years, there were so few women under seven minutes on the erg. In ‘92 in the four, Cindy Eckert [5’9” 175cm 146lb. 66kg] and Shelagh Donohoe [5’7” 170cm 148lb. 67kg] were right under 7:00, and Carol Feeney [5’11” 180cm 170lb. 77kg] and I in the mid-6:40s, but a big number of people were around seven minutes in that whole group in ‘91 and ‘92. “By ‘96, I think we had three or four women in the 6:30s and another three or four women in the low 6:40s. He built that standard of expectation, and I think that is an important thing. The power of the women as a whole group grew in that time. ‘If I’m doing this, you better also be doing this!’ sort of thing. He played us off of each other all the time, and it worked.”8085 Amy Fuller had been World Ergometer Champion when Hartmut arrived. In preparation for Sydney, she regained the crown in 2000. 8085 Fuller Kearney, op. cit. Fuller: “I don’t think that Hartmut built women’s rowing in this country. There were so many great rowers that came before us. Those women were our role models. “But I do think that Hartmut changed women’s rowing in America forever in the 1990s.”8086 Bill Zack: “Hartmut was truly a head coach. Besides his leadership of the big sweep boats, he played a key role in the success of the scullers and the lightweights. He almost single-handedly developed the training center concept, first at Boston Rowing Center, then Chattanooga, and finally in Chula Vista. “While never officially holding the title of National Technical Director, as Korzo did at one point, Hartmut had a profound effect on women’s rowing in the U.S., particularly amongst the college ranks. He made his thoughts on technique and training plans freely available to all. He made tons of visits to college programs, in search of talent but also in the quest to share his knowledge. His system of identification camps, freshmen camps, and long term development of athletes remains intact to this day. “And he’d let any coach who wanted to put in the time help him out, learn from him, and assume higher positions within the national team system. I know that I personally would not be the coach that I am today without Hartmut’s mentorship and friendship.”8087 The years following Hartmut Buschbacher’s departure have been filled with Olympic success, Silver in 2004, Gold in 2008. Hartmut’s successor, Tom Terhaar in 2004: “I want to make it very clear that our women wouldn’t have gotten that Silver Medal in Athens8088 if it were not for 8086 Ibid. 8087 Zack, op. cit. 8088 See Chapter 157. 2259