Olympic Eight Arrives!!!

We just received the actual boat that we will be racing in Beijing 4.5 months from now. It is manufactured by Hudson Boatworks out of London, Ontario. They have been our supplier of top quality boats for years now.
We wanted to have it show up here before it goes into the shipping container so that we could try it out and make sure that everything is setup the way we want it. We have had a couple of little glitches with it but nothing major. The boat itself feels really good and like rowing any new boat....it is very quite. Nothing creaks or squeaks. The main colour is white but the bow and stern decks are painted red/white/red like a Canadian flag which makes our boat a little unique. They were going to make it an all red boat with white trim, but the darker colour attracts the sunlight and we didn't to compromise the integrity of the hull's stiffness.
The boat will be here for about 2 weeks so if anything needs to be changed or adjusted we will have time to do so.
As we were rigging it today it started to hail.....then hail harder....then harder still....so we moved the boat inside the boathouse and finished rigging it there. By the time we were ready to take it out, the sun was shining.....halfway through the workout it started to hail hard again, but it only lasted about 5 minutes.
Anyway....we are pleased with the new boat and this will alleviate any fears of it not being to specifications any parts missing.
Bring it on!!!

Testing Results

The big boys from the Eight performed like they deserve to be in the boat which will make it very difficult for someone outside of the 2007 lineup to crack it.....maybe only 1 possibility and that would be due to injury.
For the rest of the squad there were some guys who were able to separate themselves apart from guys who have been close to them and this will only help to impress the coaching staff to get a shot at the selection for the four.
All in all there were some extremely good erg scores that illustrate to me the raw power that the Eight possesses. This is something that our coach is continually trying to utilize on the water so that we don't take our power for granted but that we are able to transfer all of this power onto the oar.

Selection will likely be starting in about 2 weeks or less....we will be having a team meeting soon to discuss exactly what April holds.
You can definitely tell that the pressure is mounting amongst the group. Remember, Olympic dreams are on the line here and this is just the beginning!!

This Round of Testing is Important

For some guys this round of testing could either make or break their Olympic campaign. As I have mentioned before, there are more guys in our program than just the Eight. We are also going to try and qualify a Four, Pair and maybe a Quad at the Olympic Qualification Regatta in Poland around June 20. This means that we could have up to 10 more seats for guys to fill, not including the Eight as it has already qualified. That may seem like a lot, but remember, those 10 seats have yet to qualify for the Olympics. The coaches haven't even decided for sure if we will be sending all 3 to the qualifier, if they don't prove to be fast here on our home turf then the number of seats could drop even more.

Currently we have the Eight and then a bunch of guys who are all around a similar level. This round of testing will give them an opportunity to prove to the coaches that they have made improvements since January and that they want to be part of the Olympic team.
This round of testing will the be the same as the last and everyone currently in Olympic Camp will participate. 6km Ergometer Test, 2x2km in the Pair, 2x2km in the Single
We add up all the times and presto, we have an overall ranking that the coaches can use to help determine boating orders for the fours & pairs. The higher up the ladder you are, the more likely you will get a pair partner of your speed and the more likely you will go fast to get into either the Four or Pair. If we ever have an injury in the Eight....this could also be your chance to shine as the possible replacement.
Our Olympic boat selection will begin in early April, so this round of testing is crucial. You can make it easier on yourself by finishing high up the ladder now so when crunch time comes, all the pieces are in place so that all your fellow rowers and coaches have faith in you that you can make boats go fast!

World Champs back on the water

We boated the World Championship boat order for the first time in just about 2 months. It has been for no other reason than the dreaded injury bug!
We have had a couple of guys with extended injuries that have kept them from doing workouts in the eight. One with a back injury and one with a rib fracture. (yes...broken rib)
The boat felt really good even though it was just a technique paddle......the guys were more attentive to the calls and everyone was able to contribute to the boat speed. We were able to make subtle changes in technique as a unit rather than searching for something and coming up with nothing.

Anyway....we haven't had any work sessions with this combo back, but if this mornings row is any indication, it should be fast and fun!