Many people will already know that Westminster coach Bob Michaels (aka Panagis Michalitsianos) died last Friday. He was in his hotel room on the Westminster School J15 training camp in Florida, when he suffered a sudden and massive heart attack, following a recent serious heart condition. He had been adamant that he wanted to go on the trip, to stay involved with the sport he loved, and local doctors say he will have died instantly and without suffering.
Michaels was a Greek Olympic oarsman when young, coming to Britain and coaching crews to Henley Royal and international success, as well as founding the Lea Rowing Club out of an amalgamation of local clubs (he chose orange as their colour because nobody else would wear it). He became the British women's national coach from 1988 to 1992, during which he was also coaching Westminster School, and put together the first British women's crew to win an international sweep medal (Fiona Freckleton and Miriam Batten, bronze in Vienna, 1991).
He moved to Greece to become national coach from 1993-1995, then going on to Kephalonia, where he founded two new clubs, before returning to Britain to be nearer his family, and rejoining the Lea and Westminster School as a coach.
The funeral will be held in Athens on Tuesday, organised by his cousins, and he will be buried next to his parents.
We don't yet know of any arrangements for a memorial service (probably via the Lea), but WSBC will be holding a tea at HRR this year to commemorate CD Riches and Euan Pearson's win in the Goblets 20 years ago (coached by Michaels) and there may also be a boat-naming ceremony in his honour.