This is it, the last day of racing for Rowbust at the Club Crew World Championships in Szeged, Hungary. The venue has changed. We were now racing on the Tisza River that runs right through Szeged. The same place where the opening ceremonies were held just a few days ago. The vendors have all moved their tents and their wares from the Olympic Regatta Center to the banks of the Tisza. And the locals can come and watch some excellent Dragon Boat races and cheer on their favourite crews.
Once again, it’s hot. There is little shade cover but we managed to find a good spot outside of the new paddlers village in the park above the river.
Soon we were warming up with some cardio exercise and mentally preparing for the 2,000m race we came here for.
We watched a few first. We saw the swift current that made the first and third 500m legs of the races look really easy and the second and fourth look really hard as paddlers fought the current in the opposite direction.
It was our turn. We loaded our boat. Each of us having to sit on the edge of a pier to step down to a platform to then get down in to the boat. Once loaded we push away from the dock and we head to the start line. We get a taste of what the second and fourth 500m stretches will feel like.
We were the last of 10 boats to leave the start line and we are drifting in the current that wants to snatch us. Shirley is an expert stern and keeps us from getting caught in it before it’s time.
Boats approach the start line at 15 second intervals for the 2,000m with the fastest boats last…this means we had some passing to do!
We floated up to the start line, we were set in our “Ready Ready” position and on the starters very calm and quiet “Go” we were off. Shirley got us right in the current and we used it to our advantage for the first 500m. We were just off the tail of the New Zealand crew in front of us. Shirley took us around the turn and Laura called us to “restart NOW” as we straightened up. The second 500m was rough, there was wake from other boats that jostled us around but we powered through. It took the full 500m to get the head of our dragon passed the tail of the New Zealand boat to attempt to have the right of way around the second turn.
Going in to the turn…even though the head of our dragon was definitely passed the tail of the New Zealand boat the official gave the right of way to New Zealand. However…we continued to power through the turn. The stern of the New Zealand boat was yelling at us to get out of her way but we didn’t stop. We’ve been caught in this position before and it’s cost us the gold medal…we would not be letting up to let that happen again! Shirley turned our boat so close to the bouys that we hit every one on our way by…but she kept them on the right side so there could be no penalty! Once we were cranked around the final bouy and in to our “restart” we took off like a shot and left the New Zealand boat in our wake!
We were in the current again on the third stretch. Our paddles hitting the water in sync on every stroke. Suddenly…Nathalie’s paddle “catches a crab” and flies out of her bottom hand…the same thing had happened to her at National’s and just like then she reacted quickly, grabbing it back and jumping back in to stroke like nothing happened!
In to turn three we go, our sites are now on the Vermont boat. We didn’t catch them on the straight away but we most definitely closed the gap!!
Again Shirley takes us around the bouys in a turn so smooth and tight…it’s really a thing of beauty to see first hand.
On the home stretch we are giving it everything we’ve got left in us to catch up and pass Vermont! Our strokes are long and strong. We are focused on our one job…to paddle with all our might.
A hundred meters out of the finish line we are called to bring our rate up with power. A few more strokes and we’re called up again. We power through the finish line before we are finally able to “let it run”.
Something that never happens….Captain Linda has collapsed breathless in seat one. We all know how that feels! You give and give and give everything to get you, your team and your boat across the finish line and there is just nothing left at the end! THAT is what gets us there! THAT is what gets us the GOLD!
There is no celebrating in our boat…1) we don’t want to tip 2) we really don’t know where we ended up in time. We knew that there could be penalties involved from turn two when we didn’t have the right of way.
So we paddled back to the dock. Got out of our boat and went back to our camp to wait for the official results. There was no celebrating of any kind, just nervous chatter until Coach Cheryl came to deliver the news. New Zealand was protesting our start and our turn two. But they’d LOST their protest!! We’d won our 2,000m race!! Three GOLD medals at CCWC!
We did what we came here to do! We came to defend our title and defend we did!
2,000m Race times:
* Rowbust – 10:34.152
* Vermont – 10:50.801
* New Zealand – 11:04.482
Lining up for our third turn on the podium we were told that we had to wait. The race was still under protest. We thought perhaps the young man who was volunteering surely had not been given the news. He must have been mistaken.
The announcer called the winner of the Silver medal – New Zealand???
How could this be? Vermont clearly had the faster time.
But Vermont had made a critical error…. They did not cross the finish line between the proper yellow bouys and they were disqualified. This cost them their medal. They did not get to the podium at all. How disappointing for them. But this is racing on a World level. There are rules. If they are broken, there are clear consequences.
Outside of the podium area we gathered with Vermont and New Zealand for more celebratory pictures. This is where the friendships are formed. Jersey’s traded, email addresses and Facebook info exchanged. There is no animosity here. That is left out on the water and we part as friends.
Until we meet again ladies! Thank you for a week of exciting racing!
Now it’s time to celebrate! Time to relax and enjoy our teammates and supporters.
Thank you to everyone at home who has followed us through this Hungarian adventure!!
We will all go in our separate directions now to enjoy some earned down time to explore more of Europe! But we will all be together again soon…at home, on our beautiful Fanshawe Lake!
Paddles UP! Take it away…..
(Pictures to follow....)
Suzanne Newington
Rowbust member since 2011. Keeper of the Blog. Proud member of the 2014 (Italy), 2016 (Australia) and 2018 Hungary CCWC crew!