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Showing posts from August, 2014

Video Of The Week: The U.S. Men's Quad Travels to Amsterdam

This week's video again features the members of the U.S. men's quadruple sculls, this time following them for their final strokes of preparation in Princeton before heading east to Amsterdam. The quad— Ben Dann , John Graves , Stephen Whelpley , and Pete Graves —got started on the Bosbaan yesterday, placing third in their heat for a trip to the reps. Also headed for the reps are their teammates in the men's eight, who narrowly missed direct qualification for the final in the heat behind Poland, and the U.S. men's pair, made up of 2012 Olympic bronze medalists Charlie Cole and Glenn Ochal . Progressing straight through to the A/B semis for the U.S. were the women's lightweight double of Michelle Sechser and Devery Karz , the women's pair of Megan Kalmoe and Kerry Simmonds (who won their heat roughly four seconds ahead of Romania), the women's quad (who also won their heat), and Kate Bertko in the LW1x. An experienced U.S. women's four punched their

#TBT: 10 Years Ago Today Matt Pinsent Won His Fourth Olympic Gold—in Dramatic Fashion

Yesterday we celebrated a historically great duo in the Abbagnale brothers of Italy with our Video Of The Week. Today, we take a look back into the archives once again: On this date in 2004, one of the defining races of the Athens Olympics, and of Matthew Pinsent's glittering career, took place at Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre. The above video gives an inside look at that Olympic final, which, fittingly, came down to the last stroke. While GB crew had no shortage of household names in rowing, the Canadian crew included three-time Olympian (and two-time medalist) Jake Wetzel . In one of the most dramatic Olympic finishes in the history of our sport, the two crews traded slight leads throughout the final 500 meters of the race, with Great Britain eventually winning the day by 0.08 seconds. In the words of Wetzel , "That 0.08 seconds is 10 years of experience. That's what Matthew Pinsent had that we didn't have." Along with his Canadian national t

Video Of The Week: The Kings of the Men's Coxed Pair

The 2014 World Rowing Championships are just four days away, and without a doubt one of the most anticipated events this year will be the men's pair with coxswain (how long has it been since we've been able to say that?). This is, of course, thanks to the Kiwi Pair's decision to double-up in the event. So, we thought it only fitting to take advantage of the occasion to reflect on one of the most dominant crews of the 20th century, another impressive duo, the Abbagnale brothers .

Video Of The Week: Inside the Temple-winning Oxford Brookes Men's Eight on Henley Sunday

This week's video comes to us via Oxford Brookes' coxswain Rory Copus, who gives us an inside look (and listen) into the final of the Temple Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta last month. The Brookes crew perfectly executed their race plan, jumping out to an early lead (indeed, almost a length by the end of the Island) and continuing to extend that lead through the finish line. The video is also a resource for coxswains—Copus' mixture of rhythm calls and timely, pre-planned moves carries the crew through the race without falling into the trap of simply chatting into the microphone, and keeps the crew consistently informed about position (time, distance, split) on the racecourse. A telling call from a crew member comes with 500 meters to go: Anyone who has trained for and raced at Henley knows just how rare, and precious, it is to have an opportunity to win a title there. As the Brookes crew crosses into the final quarter of the race, you can hear the words, "Ta

Training Tuesday: Gearing up for 2014 Worlds with the US M8+, GB M4- and 2+

The 2014 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam are fast approaching, and today we're taking an inside look at training with the U.S. men's eight, and the British men's four and pair with coxswain, in the form of three videos produced by crew members. The above showcases the GB men's four—the odds-on favorite to win another world title this year—and introduces each of the athletes by way of micro-interviews. And, what sets this video apart is the inclusion of their chief coach, JĂĽrgen Grobler, who adds his two cents at the end of the piece.

USRowing Senior National Team Announced: A Look at the 2014 Squad Set for Action in Amsterdam

The U.S. senior national team has been announced , and its a formidable group that will be heading to Amsterdam later this month for the 2014 World Rowing Championships. And, thanks to USRowing and Curtis Jordan , we've got a inside look at this year's squad. While there are several new-look crews set to enter the fray on the Bosbaan, there are also a number of well-established names on the roster, including three very notable returners—on the women's side, Eleanor Logan is back in the women's eight (where she has won two-straight Olympic gold medals) after a season in the single (and a very successful one at that, making the final at the world championships in her first go around in the boat class), and 2012 Olympian Gevvie Stone will represent the U.S. again in the W1x; on the men's side, two-time Olympian David Banks is back in the mix, sitting in the two seat of the eight.

RR Interview: Fergus Scholes, Publisher of Row360 and Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge Champion

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Photo courtesy of Row360 Henley Royal Regatta seemed like the perfect place and time to launch a new rowing magazine, and Row360 Publisher Fergus Scholes did not miss the chance. Scholes, who hatched the idea of creating a global rowing magazine while racing across the ocean last year during the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge , has a long history in the sport, having started at the age of 13. His team, the Atlantic Polo Team , crossed the 3,000 mile course from the Canary Islands to Antigua in 48 days and seven minutes, winning their class and finishing second overall. Now, Scholes has embarked on an entirely different kind of challenge, but with the same patience and determination. RR: What inspired you to create Row360? What separates it from existing rowing journalism, and how do you see it developing over the coming months and years? Fergus Scholes: I was fortunate enough to row the Atlantic at the beginning of the year. Forty eight days and three thousand miles gives

Video Of The Week: Long Beach Juniors Train for Glory

This week's video comes to us courtesy of the Long Beach Junior men's squad, and details their training leading up to their victory in the eight at the 2014 USRowing youth national championships. Despite winning both the heavyweight four and pair at Southwest Regionals, the LBJC coaching staff and athletes elected to bring the eight (which had finished a distant third in their region, some nine seconds off the pace). Evidently, they were onto something. From the get-go at nationals, it was clear that LBJC had found an extra gear in the eight, posting one of the fastest times of the regatta in the heat (and this with a 10-second lead and no need to push). (For a complete recap from the 2014 youth national championships, plus race video clips, see our race coverage here .) Now, LBJC athletes Luke Khoury and Allen Reitz are representing the U.S. in the JM2- in Hamburg, while Izak Epstein is racing in the JM4-. The junior men's pair has a field of 26 crews and a very hi