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.
The Stats
Country
Great Britain
Crew Names
Ollie Wilkes
Dave Ambler
Matt Aldridge
Freddie Davidson
Average Age
28 years
Olympic Record
N/A
2024 Competitive Record
World Rowing Cup 1: 2nd (M4-)
World Rowing Cup 2: 3rd (M4-)
World Rowing Cup 3: N/A
European Championships: 1st (M4-)
The Profile
For Great Britain, the men’s coxless four is considered “their” event at the Olympics. They’ve won it more times than any other nation (nine) and that included an historic run of five consecutive Olympic golds between 2000 and 2016. One of the key elements of that success was the continuity of personnel; between 2000 and 2016, there was always someone in the boat who had won Olympic gold and (from 2004) had been in the four at the previous Olympics. That connection was broken in Tokyo with unfortunate results. The crew attempting to wrestle back the Olympic crown are all Olympic newbies, but that doesn’t mean they are inexperienced. Some elements of this crew have been involved in the boat throughout the Paris Olympiad, winning the world titles in 2022 and 2023 and European titles in 2022, 2023 and 2024, producing a winning streak that lasted for 21 races. The boat, led by Freddie Davidson, dominated the field throughout the 2023 season, often winning by clear water and under-rating their opponents by 3-4 strokes-per-minute. This season, however, the flow has been disrupted somewhat, as they beaten for the first time in three years at the opening World Rowing Cup by Italy. They then produced their worst result as a crew at the second World Rowing Cup, being beaten into bronze by the Americans and Kiwis. Overall, their performances this season have made them look vulnerable, and given their opposition confidence that the Brits can be beaten. There’s a big part of me that thinks GB will recapture their mojo in Paris, but I’m going to err on the side of caution/pessimism, and say they’ll just come up short.
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