How do you define greatness? A mind-bending feat that surpasses expectation and rationality? A moment of authentic surprise that inverts the weight of pressing odds? Or perhaps an incision in the linear unfurling of your heart?
In sport, we are quick to anoint greatness upon each other. A performance that impresses us is often bestowed the virtue of greatness before it can even truly be understood. It is easy to attach brilliance onto bravery and boldness but sometimes the two should not be conflated. True greatness should combine mastery, magnanimity and more than a hint of magic.
The Olympic Games is our ultimate magic show. A procession of truly elite talent, operating at the pinnacle of their sport and thrust forward into a limelight fostered by four years of relative translucency. These two weeks are stitched into the very fabric of competition, dating back to the lore of Ancient Greece, and have transcended the politics of modern society to become the ultimate marker in sporting excellence. To win Olympic Gold gives you immortality of a rare and timeless specification – your story will be perpetuated forevermore, carried forward by the whispers of generations to come, who too aim to climb those sacred steps and join this club of champions. Emerging over the horizon, this time in the blue and red hue of palatial Paris, we are ready for the very fastest in rowing to be crowned.
Step forward, my friends – The Olympic Games have come.
Italy
The Italian four started this season with a lot of hype. At their home World Rowing Cup, they came out on top, defeating the British four that had previously gone unbeaten all Olympiad. This was a statement of intent that shocked the world, but it was clear they were in different stages of their training cycle as the Italians had failed to qualify the four at the previous world championships. This season, the Italian selectors changed their priorities, placing a lot of power into this quartet. Since securing their spot through the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta, this crew has not raced, instead working through a new training cycle as they aim to build back up to the highs they hit in April. If they can pull off that difficult balancing act, they could be ones to reckon with in Paris.
Australia
The defending champions Australia would not consider themselves outsiders in this race. A country with a proud history in the event, they booked their place in Paris with a fifth-placed finish at last year’s world championship but have boated a very different crew this season. Masters and Robertson have been brought in from the eight and Hamilton from the pair with only Alexander Hill remaining from the previous crew. This season, they have been at the front-end with their toughest test coming in their first European race at Lucerne, where they placed fourth overall. Leaning on the history of the ‘oarsome foursome’ this crew will not be happy if they are missing a medal on the long flight home.
Netherlands
A powerhouse of rowing, the men’s four is among the lower priority boats in the Dutch stable. Do not mistake that for a pushover though. With one of the fourth-placed crew from last year’s world championships alongside members of the pair and silver-medal winning eight, this boat won bronze at the Varese World Rowing Cup but underperformed at Lucerne, finishing in a disappointing sixth position. In the intervening months they have been able to work within the world class coaching structure in the Royal Dutch Rowing Federation and will be hoping to have gained a significant amount of speed.
Romania
After many athletes doubled up at last year’s world championship for Romania, there are now a number of athletes who would not otherwise expect to be selected for the Games but are inheriting positions from those who are focusing on other crews. This four is made up of a wide range of athletes. Two members of the crew rowed in the eight at the Belgrade world championships and another rowed in the double. The final member of the crew will make his senior championship debut this year. With no racing as a crew to measure their speed, this crew is an unknown quantity, but I would be surprised if they were troubling the podium contenders by the end of the week.
France
Rowing at an Olympic Games in front of a home crowd is among the greatest experience in a rower’s career and the men’s four were among the first crews to earn that oppertunity. This crew, unchanged for two seasons, has been quietly building a roster of strong performances across that time, never missing an A-final and winning a bronze medal at the European championships this April. Within such a tight field, this level of consistency is mightily impressive and if everything goes right, France could find themselves in the sprint for a medal. However, with few truly world-class performances, they could equally find themselves breaking their A-Final streak and falling out of the top six. With the home crowd at their backs they will hope it will be the former, but how much speed is there left to find given how long they have spent together?
Switzerland
There has been no crew on the elite international scene more active this season than the Swiss four, who have raced at all three World Rowing Cup regattas, the European championships as well as the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta. At the latter, they punched their ticket to Paris, finishing less than two seconds ahead of the Germans who missed out. As the last crew to qualify for the event, there isn’t really a bad outcome, but finishing behind the British development crew at the Poznan World Rowing Cup suggests they may have a tough time making their mark on the largest stage.
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