By Rob Harris
Paris: As Australia’s rowing campaign came to a mediocre end at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on Saturday, the Olympic regatta produced a quirky twist on the gender debate gripping the Games.
Amid the ongoing furore over the boxing competition in Paris, Britain’s Henry Fieldman became the first person to win an Olympic medal in both men’s and women’s events.
Fieldman, the cox of Great Britain’s women’s eights, won bronze in the men’s eight three years ago in Tokyo – and on Saturday repeated the feat in the women’s boat.
Six years ago, rowing’s governing body implemented a raft of new rule changes, unanimously voting for coxswains – who steer the boat and guide the rowers – to become gender-neutral.
“I just wanted to help this crew get on the podium and that’s the biggest thing for me,” he told reporters after the race. “I hope that now that we’ve had two Olympic medals in the women’s eight - 2016 and now - that this could be the start of more women’s eights to come - stepping on to greater things.”
There is no physical advantage for men’s teams who are coxed by women, or vice versa. Rules stipulate a 55-kilogram weight limit for athletes, meaning if they weigh less, weights will be added. If the coxswain weighs more, it is an extra burden on the boat.
Coxswain Henry Fieldman is the first person to win Olympic gold in both men’s and women’s events.Credit: AP
Amid an increasingly toxic debate involving two boxers who have been allowed to compete against women by the IOC after previously failing gender eligibility tests, the rules for gender-neutral coxswains appear to make sense for a position that does not depend on physical power.
“They only changed the rule back in 2017. Someone was going to do it and it happened to be me,” the 35-year-old Fieldman said.
“There’s a really talented cox at the back of the men’s eight, Harry Brightmore. The thinking was that he would be a better fit for the men, and I would be a good person to bring some experience into the women’s eight.”
Australian rower Tara Rigney narrowly missed out on a bronze medal in the women’s single skulls on Saturday, as the newly named Rowsellas finished the Olympic regatta with their worst result since going medalless at Seoul in 1988.
Australia’s Tara Rigney finished fourth.Credit: Getty Images
More disappointment followed Rigney’s heartache, with the much-hyped men’s eights finishing dead last in their gold medal race despite selectors earlier this year deciding to prioritise that event ahead of defending their Olympic gold medal in the coxless fours.
The women’s eights finished fourth – their best result since it became an Olympic event – but it meant Australia finished the week with just one medal.
Rowing Australia had trumpeted its team’s hopes ahead of the Games, heralding the squad as one of the strongest to represent Australia at an Olympics. New Zealand finished with 4 medals - one gold, two silvers and a bronze.
Forecasts from Gracenote, a global data and technology company that analyses the major competition form of all athletes and teams heading into the Olympics, had predicted Australian crews to win at least seven medals, three silver and four bronze – including podium finishes in both eights events.
The men’s crew had a suffered a setback before their race, with veteran Josh Hicks forced to withdraw on medical advice on Saturday morning after suffering gastroenteritis.
“Doing what’s best for the team, what’s best for a particular crew and the group at large is what’s most important,” Hicks said.
He was replaced by men’s four rower Tim Masters. But they never appeared in the race, finishing almost 9 seconds behind the victorious Great Britain crew.
The women’s event was much closer, with the Australian crew storming past the US to claim fourth in a brilliant finish. But they were still a second behind third-placed Britain, with Romania winning the gold in 5:54.39 ahead of Canada in silver.
Rigney, 25, was in third place for almost the entire 2000m, but was pipped on the line by Lithuanian Viktorija Senkute. World champion Karolien Florijn continued the Dutch dominance on the water, winning in 7:17.28, two seconds ahead of her New Zealand rival Emma Twigg in second.
Rigney had been hoping to double Australia’s medal count so far at these Games at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, following on from Friday’s bronze medal in the women’s pair event from Jess Morrison and Annabelle McIntyre. She was also attempting to become the second Australian woman to win a medal in the event, following her mentor Kim Brennan, who won gold in the event in Rio in 2016 and bronze in London.
Rigney had been attempting to become just the second Australian woman to win a single scull Olympic medal.Credit: AP
“I executed my race plan and didn’t quite have those last 10 strokes in me,” a teary Rigney told reporters after the race.
“I left no stone unturned. It’s the best I could have done today (but) my best just wasn’t good enough. But that’s that sport, that’s why it’s good, that’s why it’s tough. The highs are high and lows are low.”
A former NSW junior representative in netball, Rigney endured two severe knee injuries before she discovered her passion and ability for rowing. That same year, she made her Olympic debut in the women’s double scull at the Tokyo Olympics, where she made the semi-final alongside fellow debutant Amanda Bateman.
As a single scull entrant, she had won medals at world cup events – including a silver in the women’s single scull behind Florijn – in Europe and came away with a bronze medal at the last world championships.
“It would have been nice to come away with that bronze,” Rigney said. “At no stage did I feel rattled, but probably just the last 10 strokes when I saw them, I was hanging on for dear life.
“There’s nothing quite like the feeling when someone’s gaining on you, and you’re putting everything out there. But I just was not quick enough.”
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