Rowing stars left counting cost of golds
WITH three gold medals and two silvers to finish top of the sport’s medal table, British rowing will try again to build on the temporary surge of Olympic interest. Yet according to one of the squad’s departing heroes, it is more likely to be held back by what he sees as its ‘stuffy’ establishment and an inability to market itself properly. Andrew T Hodge, now a triple gold medallist after being part of Saturday’s triumphant men’s eight, made the caustic observation in the wake of his boat’s dominant victory over favourites Germany. At 37, with a second child on the way, Hodge now has to get a ‘proper job’ to fund his growing household after being unable to find sponsorship. ‘Coming towards Rio I thought surely someone has got to be interested in supporting someone going for their third Olympic gold medal — but it didn’t happen,’ he said. ‘Rowing has to take a good look at itself. Other sports, they are all developing. Rowing is getting left behind. ‘The Olympics is a professional body which uses volunteers and volunteer athletes to run the show, and while the top tier gets richer and richer, most athletes’ income is pretty static. The disparity in the Olympic movement is growing and it’s worrying and frustrating for the sport.’ Among a Great Britain rowing squad who have achieved so much in the last three Olympic regattas, only Helen Glover from the women’s pair has any significant personal sponsorship. ‘Part of my frustration is to do with the expectations I had when I first came into it — that if you get to a certain standard you can earn the lifestyle around it. But between British Rowing and IOC that has been shut down,’ said Hodge. ‘The days of Redgrave and Pinsent are over. That era died in 2004, which is funnily enough the last time that an athlete could get their boat sponsored. ‘Since then British Rowing have held the keys themselves and done nothing with it. ‘On the water I’m really proud of what we as a team have achieved. I’ve bled for this sport and I’m a better person for it. ‘When I talk to young people about what I’ve done I say: “Do it because you love the sport and love the training and competing”. I think it’s only fair to tell them that.’ A problem for rowing is that once an Olympics is over there is no significant peak to attract wider attention. Instead there is a succession of various events in a structure only comprehensible to a small hardcore following. The highest profile annual events are the British anomaly of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race and then Henley. The Great Britain rowing group and its management will now take time out to consider their plans towards Tokyo 2020. One fear is that the outstanding Constantine Louloudis, 24, stroke of the all-conquering men’s four, may decide he has other things he wants to do with his first-class degree in classics. But it is early days, as it is for speculation about Lottery funding. That may yet be trimmed for a sport that was set a target of at least six medals but managed only five, although the sweetener was their impressive colour.