Rossiter grateful to fulfil childhood dream in Tokyo
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“I hope that, in time, I can be really proud at getting to the Olympics and making the final.
“It was an amazing experience and, although we didn’t do as well as we hoped, I still fulfilled one of my childhood dreams by going to the Games.”
A lot has been said since their disappointment in Tokyo and people have questioned the preparation of the British Rowing team.
Jürgen Grobler, the most successful coach in Olympic history, departed his role in August, but Rossiter explained that it didn’t change their approach for Tokyo.
He said: “I think that at the start there was shock [when he left] because there was no indication that he wouldn’t finish the job off, but in reality he has done an amazing job over the last 40 years.
“Not much changed, though, because we had a really good leader in Steve Trapmore who came in.
“He did a really good job and the training stayed very similar.
“The team prepared as well as they could have if Jürgen was at the helm because Steve is an experienced guy as he won the Olympics in 2000.”
The performances from the rowing teams in Tokyo left the group pretty flat, but Rossiter is confident they’ll be able to bounce back quickly.
He said: “There has been a lot said about the culture in our team and the fact our coach left last year, but the team has been off the pace just a tiny bit over the Olympics cycle.
“A lot of the teams, apart from us, had a good row and we ended up coming fourth and that’s all you can do.”
Rossiter explained how proud he is to be part of a team that boasts an incredible legacy and it is down to previous Olympians that he has the opportunity to perform at the highest level.
“Everyone who has represented British rowing before has put it where it has got too,” said the 31-yearold.
“I am on a lottery grant, I go to my national training centre and I row in the best boats in the world and that is all thanks to those guys who built to put British rowing in an amazing position.
“There are so many people that have been so supportive, people like Pete Reed, Andy Hodge, Tom James and George Nash.”
Rossiter added how unique the whole Olympics experience was, given the fact that restrictions were in place all around the country due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
He said: “Deep down I am chuffed that it happened because in January and February the public in Tokyo desperately didn’t want it to happen because Covid cases were going through the roof there.
“Of course you want the Olympics to happen as you see it on the television, but it was just epic it happened at all because it’s important to remember that at points there might have been nothing.
“I think during the Covid pandemic, British Rowing have assured us that the Olympics was going ahead and made us all feel like we’re in a good place.”