We need to close the gap between our international rowers and the top club and university athletes.
worry that the standard of racing will not attract much interest from the general public. Now let me clarify that last point
– by standard of racing I am not referring to the quality of rowing, but rather the excitement of the race itself. The average punter watching the Boat Race knows very little about what good rowing looks like, but he or she understands, and appreci- ates, a great race. Clearly not all the men’s races are particularly close or interesting, but I fear that it is unlikely, especially in the early years, that the women will have two crews close enough in ability to generate really exciting racing. This will ultimately damage the reputation of not just women’s rowing, but women’s sport generally, and will not result in the shift of mentality needed in the UK to encourage more females into com- petitive sport. I’m a natural pessimist, and this
is the worst-case scenario. If the women’s race goes well, I can see how it could provide a turning point for women’s university rowing. The increase in standard and prestige would likely promote a healthier level of competition and a massive jump in the quality of university rowing. It would also, I suspect, discourage our
exceptional junior athletes from leav- ing the country to study overseas. So why does university rowing
matter? Take a look at the US W8+, who have lost just one international race since 2005. The bulk of these women have rowed in highly competi- tive university programmes. I travelled out to Seattle earlier this year to race the Washington women, and their fa- cilities easily rival, if not surpass, what our national team have here in the UK. The US women rate the 8+ above all else, and their races are fast and fierce. They know what close racing is all about. It is their bread and butter. We need this type of racing in the UK, at university and club level. Societal norms most likely play a role in the differences in attitude towards women’s sport on either side of the pond, but if the British rowing com- munity could start to improve our own attitudes, then our international teams would undoubtedly benefit. Ultimate- ly, men’s rowing is further along in its evolution, and therefore has a clearer structure, stronger traditions, and much more strength in depth. Wom- en’s rowing will eventually reach the point where it is directly comparative, but it will take a little more time. The question should remain though, what can we do to encourage this?
In the GB women’s team, our most
successful international performanc- es have been in the smaller boats. Whilst these are the boats that the head coach prioritizes, it also reflects a need for the greater strength in depth required to be successful in bigger boats. The GB W8+ has won some incredible senior bronze medals, and arguably would have medalled at Beijing had it not been affected by illness, but ultimately we have not yet managed to secure an Olympic medal in this event. In my opinion this is the next milestone that needs to be achieved in British women’s rowing, and one that I hope to play a part in if I make it to Rio. But to make an 8+ go fast you need a big, competitive group of highly motivated women, and for this to occur we need to close the current gap between the standard of our international rowers and the top club and university athletes. There are more women currently
rowing in the UK than ever before – in fact, British Rowing now has more female members than male. So, the question remains, what can we do to push women’s rowing forward, and how can we bridge the gap between club and international athletes? If anyone has the answer, please let me know. ROW360
ROW360 // Issue 001
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