The Olympic Rowing Run-In | Part One with Zoe De Toledo

Image credit: World Rowing

The Olympic year always feels different. Selection is fierce, and racing is ferocious from the first buzzer of the season. An early Games, like Paris, compresses the season. Coupled with a short three-year Olympiad, this adds a sense of frantic energy to the season. On the water, preparation is taking place for the second World Cup, held on the iconic Lake Rotsee, Lucerne. Expect furious racing, in what will be the last event for many before Paris.

It’s off the water where things are beginning to look very different. This is the time of year when the Olympics start to feel truly real. Selection is being finalised, crew announcements are being made and team kit is being revealed. Our own crew was coming together, and there was more interest after our success at the European Championships. Even though my own selection had been confirmed much earlier in the year, this was the first time I could really visualise myself competing in Rio de Janeiro.

This is the time of year when the Olympics start to feel truly real.

The athletes are now getting a small taste of the circus that comes with being a part of the Games. You are learning to navigate the media attention, the increased interest and pressure from family and friends, and trying to find your way through all the rules and regulations that are part and parcel of being an Olympian. Rio-related emails kept landing in my inbox, from arrangements for kitting out through to travel details, and each one brought both new excitement and new anxieties.

It is often a shock as to how many restrictions are imposed upon Olympic athletes. From sponsorship rules to kit guidelines, these restrictions must be understood early to avoid falling foul of strict policies laid down by individual teams and the IOC. For those with their own sponsorship deals, it’s time to start thinking about “Rule 40” – the somewhat contentious point of the Olympic charter that prevents competing athletes from allowing their image or name to be used in advertising without permission during the Games’ blackout period, which starts just before and continues through the event. Whilst these rules have been relaxed since an athlete protest in 2012, many will still need to be using this time to work with their individual sponsors on what is and is not allowed. Despite not having any personal sponsors, I still found myself paranoid and nervous that I would somehow break a rule and land myself in hot water!

Pressure also builds now from family and friends. As team selections are confirmed, spectators will now want to finalise their own arrangements – travel, accommodation, and tickets. Athletes will suddenly be flooded with requests for help with this, not just from their nearest and dearest, but also from distant relations and long-forgotten acquaintances. Particularly once the team announcement had been made, I remember receiving messages from old school classmates and distant friends of the family telling me they were planning to be in Rio and asking me questions and advice, none of which I knew the answer to. Very quickly, I realised that trying to help everyone with their plans was something I couldn’t manage, and I found a few resources to direct people to instead.

They (athletes) need to ensure that their performance doesn’t suffer in trying to organise arrangements for their supporters

Many teams provide briefings for friends and family, not only with practical information but also with guidance on how they can best support the athlete through this period. For the competitor this is the time to work out how to strike the balance between selfishness and helpfulness – ultimately, they need to ensure that their performance doesn’t suffer in trying to organise arrangements for their supporters.

Personally, I found the biggest challenge now was letting myself enjoy the new experiences the year was offering, whilst also staying focussed on the task of making the boat go faster. Now is the time for the athletes to get their heads straight and use the final World Cup regattas to test out their race craft. Then, the big pre-Olympic graft will begin.

About The Author

Zoe De Toledo

De Toledo steered Great Britain to an unforgettable silver medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Earlier that year, she was a part of a GB’s women’s eight that were crowned European champions. The University of Oxford graduate and Boat Race cox has also raced at the U23 and junior world championships, winning a gold and bronze medal respectively.

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