Photo credit: World Rowing/Benedict Tufnell
Qualifying for one Olympic Games is an extraordinary achievement. The combination of talent, desire and commitment required to reach the summit of your respective sport means that very few possess those attributes in isolation, let alone as a toolkit. Now, imagine reaching the start line on four separate occcasions.
Damir Martin, Croatia’s legendary sculler and two-times Olympic silver medalist, is one such athlete with the resolve and determination required. In sunny Belgrade a few weeks ago, he qualified for his fourth successive Olympic Games, stretching back to his appearance in the Croatian men’s quad in London. Since then, he’s focused on the single scull, a move that has yielded a bronze in Tokyo after a remarkable silver in Rio (he was pipped on the line by the legendary Mahe Drysdale in one of the closest photo-finishes in rowing history).
In the past year, Damir has switched to using Bont Rowing shoes after a decade spent switching between boats and footwear. The signs of performance improvement are obvious – Damir arrived into the 2023 World Rowing Championships as someone who had not quite scaled the lofty heights of previous seasons (a succession of ‘B’ finals at the World Cup series). He secured an ‘A’ final berth in Belgrade, clinching automatic qualification for Paris, but his ambition knows no bounds and he’s certainly not done yet…
First of all, congratulations on qualifying for another Olympic Games. How does that feel?
Thank you, the feeling is great! As a kid I was dreaming of going to the Olympics and that some day my name will be written on the M1x A-final start list. So after my dream came true I just wanted to see how far I can go with training and technique improvement. Now I’m onto my fourth Olympics and I’ll give my utmost to be the best that I ever was.
Beyond qualifying, were you satisfied with your performance at the 2023 World Rowing Championships?
To be honest, I was not actually very satisfied with my final race. I had a race plan that I did not really execute. After about a kilometre, I had to surrender because of the wake from the camera crew boat that was following the race leaders. That was a shame as I felt I could have been more competitive with the front-runners.
After so much success, what keeps you motivated and focused?
Self-improvement and training methods that keep me performing for as long as possible.
What do you think your biggest strength as a single sculler is?
At this point, it is probably the experience I have gained over many years of competing in this boat class. My racing at three Olympics – two in the single – plus numerous world championships across the world put me in a good position to understand race dynamics as they unfold and hopefully respond and react in the right moments. The single scull is one such event where you need a strong mentality and plenty of experience.
How important is it to have a strong team around you in Croatia? Valent, Martin etc
Although the broader Croatian team are fantastic and very talented, I mainly train alone with my coach. I think at this stage of my career, I prefer the individual freedom of going after my own program and amending as I see fit. We sometimes do some cycling together, but for rowing I like to do my own stuff.
What are your aims for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games?
For every Olympics I just want to enter the A-final and then everything is possible. Now, for Paris, I’m really motivated to take that final step and secure a gold medal.
How long have you been working with Bont Rowing and what persuaded you to wear their shoes?
I have had Bont in my boat from around a year. Over the years I changed boats a lot, and I was always taking my old shoes in the new boat to get used to it faster. I struggle to adapt to new shoes that are now fitted in the boats and my old shoes are really old so I wanted a shoe that, when I change a boat, I can take with me.
How have Bont Rowing helped you reach maximum performance?
Bont has a mould that fits me and that does not change over the years, aside from some small improvements that increase wearability and durability but do not drastically alter the shoe itself. That is really important to me. They’re light, easy to adjust and help me to secure a strong connection to the footplate throughout the stroke.
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