Disappointment for SA’s rowers as podium finishes elude them

NATIONAL rowing coach Roger Barrow’s worst fears were realised yesterday when four of his crews finished outside the medals. Two finished fourth and two finished fifth in their respective finals on the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon at the Rio Olympic Games.

It was a massacre as far as Olympic medal hopes go, with the euphoria of the day before replaced by disappointment.

The morning got off to a rocky start as the two boats considered most likely to win medals, in the men’s and women’s lightweight double sculls, finished fourth and fifth respectively.

The women’s crew of Kirsten McCann and Ursula Grobler were in touch for a medal up until the 1 500m mark, when they began to lose serious ground.

London 2012 gold medallists John Smith and James Thompson could not stop the bleeding as their customary surge towards the end escaped them.

They remained in fourth position from start to finish to see their hopes of an Olympic double float away.

“This was probably my worst dream come true,” Barrow said. “We’re all pretty much devastated. I mainly feel for the athletes, John and James, Kirst and Urs. They were probably our two favourite boats.

“For them to finish fourth and fifth is gut wrenching. They really put themselves out there and they were really aiming for gold through the middle. We saw their determination and commitment but it was so close to the line, but stuff happens.”

Thompson and Smith, who won South Africa’s first gold medals at the world championships two years ago in Amsterdam, missed the bronze medal by two seconds.

Barrow said he was nevertheless proud of his charges because they had put up a good fight.

The disappointment continued when the women’s coxless pair of Kate Christowitz and Lee-Ann Persse finished outside the medals in fourth place.

The men’s four then looked like they could be pulling a rabbit out of the hat, going toe to toe with world champions Italy. The quartet of Jake Green, David Hunt, Vincent Breet and Jonty Smith were in the bronze medal position for most of the race but could not hold on as the Italians pipped them over the final stretch.

“They’ve grown in confidence, they had a cracker race and if they could just hold on, I mean fourth is the worst position in world sport. I don’t even want to use those words here to describe it,” Barrow said.

“I am chuffed for the guys for getting it but we came here to win medals, so it is all disappointing.”

Although the results were not what Barrow and his team had expected, they can take some solace from the fact that they not only qualified five boats for the Olympics but also reached five finals.

The previous day the men’s pair of Lawrence Brittain and Shaun Keeling ignited the hope of a medal blitz for the other teams after they won silver.

“The high from yesterday, that was probably our best day in SA rowing, and today is probably, for me, our worst day,” Barrow said.

“Yesterday to get all those semis and good placings plus the silver of Lawrence and Shaun. I’ve got to make sure this negativity doesn’t overshadow that because I’m so thrilled with that. It’s massive mixed emotions. You go up from last night, and believe we can now do this, and then to come down on this low is heavy.”

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