THE ERA OF POLARIZATION start to the finish as quick as you possibly can.7752 Coxswain Betsy Beard: “Our strategy was to go faster, faster and faster.”7753 Thorsness: “Our race was delayed, and it was hot that day. When we finally got to the starting line on Lake Casitas, we were tight, tight, tight. We sat for what felt like forever on the line, and once underway, we stayed tight and a bit short, perhaps too aware of the Romanians.”7754 The U.S. Eight came off the line at 47 to the Romanians’ 45, and soon both crews had a deck on the field. American stroke Kathy Keeler settled her crew to 42 after 250 meters, and that was the lowest they ever got. After falling behind a couple of feet at 300 meters, the Romanians crossed the 500 meter mark a couple of feet ahead of the U.S., with the rest of the field half a length down. Thorsness: “With about 300 meters to go, Betsy said something like ‘We’re going to go, and we’re going to go now!’ which focused us back in our boat and caused the move that left the Romanians behind for good.”7755 Graves, 4-seat: “I remember looking over at the Romanians when we were still behind with about 250 meters to go and thinking, ‘[Bleep] this! We are NOT going to lose this race’”7756 At 800 meters, it was the U.S. moving through and away as Keeler had them back up to 44. The final margin was a third of a length, with the Dutch in third, a full length behind. Thorsness: “I really credit Betsy Beard with that win. Of course, everyone in that boat had enormous reserves of physical and 7752 ABC Television, op. cit. 7753 Qtd. by Kathryn Reith, Sunrise over Casitas, Rowing USA October/November 1984, p. 29 7754 Thorsness, op. cit. 7755 Ibid. 7756 Graves, op. cit. mental strength that they brought to bear in their own way. “Kathy was pure focus and intensity during a race. She absolutely hated to lose and was the perfect stroke of an extremely headstrong crew. She and I had rowed a pair that year, which gave me invaluable experience and prepared me to sit behind her at 7. “Kristi Norelius, Carie Graves and Jeanne Flannagan were the power core and made it feel like you were riding a rocket off the line. Wonderful women, but lord, what beasts! “That’s not to say that Carol Bower and Holly Metcalf weren’t powerhouses themselves. Relatively short of stature, yes, but so strong technically and absolutely driven. “Shyril O’Steen, up in the bow, was smoothness personified. “To finish the package, Bob Ernst was relentless and meticulous, which made us Olympic Champions. I’ve always been in awe of them all and am so acutely aware of the great honor it was to row with them.”7757 “The Gold Medal was not only the first ever for U.S. women but the first in World or Olympic competition for any non- communist country”7758 in any women’s event. Add in the European Championships going back to 1954, and only five Golds in twenty-nine years had ever gone to crews not part of the Eastern Bloc, a truly astounding statistic! Postscript Carol Bower has made a career of coaching crew and is presently the head coach of the Bryn Mawr College. After stints as head coach at Radcliffe College and Northeastern University, Carie 7757 Thorsness, op. cit. 7758 Reith, op. cit., p. 34 2161
