Issue 95 - February 1997

Grobler takes stock

As the international assessment season begins in earnest, the shape of the Great Britain national coaching team is looking good. The incoming International Rowing manager David Tanner has got his bottom line team in place even though financial support is still uncertain for the coming financial year and the four-year cycle to the Sydney Olympics. The latest addition is a part-time two -month contract for Harry Mahon , the New Zealander with current interests in Cambridge, South Africa and elsewhere. Jurgen Grobler continues as chief coach for men, with Sean Bowden taking responsibility for lightweights and Mahon for sculling development. His brief includes harnessing some club sculling coaches into the squad. Mike Spracklen has returned from the US to take over from Bill Mason as chief coach for women.

'We will have to work hard to maintain our position', Grobler says. 'There are a lot of strong people out there. Steve Gunn (the Olympic four's coach who has taken Mahon's old job in New Zealand) is always good for a medal, for a start. Then there are the Italians. All right, they made mistakes in Atlanta, didn't get many medals, but they are up there. It goes without saying that the Australians will be strong.'

'We still have the junior bronze quad from 1994 of Johnson, Hammond, Goodbrand and Weighell who progressed to the under-23 team. Weighell has been ill quite often and he and Hammond are currently in Australia. Then there is Mike Webb of Tideway Scullers who was the spare in 1995 who has shown some good performances but who has not yet got under seven minutes. He is close to Haining, Thatcher and Cracknell when it comes to long distance sculling. Those are the known heavies.'

'Greg Searle will beat Haining if the technicalities are right,' Grobler says. 'He has the power, strength and the killer instinct. Greg has all my support. It will be good for British sculling if he comes through. If he can't beat Haining or can't handle being alone, his potential is on the rowing side. After all, five medals in five years isn't bad! But scullers are now doing times below 6.40. Guys like Porter, for whom I have a lot of respect, struggle against Muller.'

'Haining did really well at the Olympics. 6.55 was near the best time in Atlanta. But I still think he is limited. My advice to him is to go back to lightweight, maybe not straight away, and look for a doubles partner for the Olympics. That's still his best chance.'

'It will take time to bring Steve back. He has never stopped training for four months before, and it was still sometimes crazy when he did start back - some occasions when he had three engagements a day. We never train in the pair, but we need to reform the pair as soon as possible as a measurement boat.'

'I have no access to Tim Foster while he is on Boat Race duty at Oxford. He has shown a big improvement all round, especially on bow side. I'd say he is the second best bow side oarsman around. He and Obholzer are the second pair.'

'If Greg Searle fails at sculling, he is a clear candidate for all the reasons above. Obby is back in serious training and would also be good for the eight. He could stroke it.'

'The problem with last year's eight is that there was no leader. Jonny can turn something around. He has the strong personality to inspire the younger men,'

Other bowsiders available are Bobbie Thatcher and Richard Hamilton, last year's stroke, and on stroke side James Cracknell and Ben Hunt-Davis. Alex Story, like Hamilton and Hunt-Davis from the Olympic eight, is in his first of three years at Cambridge, and Graham Smith is still available. Damian West is still at Oxford. There are some newcomers from the IC Grand eight such as Simon Denis and Louis Atwell. There is the under-23 gold medalist Dave Buckley. And then there are people like Trapmore, McQuillan and McAdams from NCRA's fourth-placed 1996 world championship coxed four.

'Age is not interesting any more,' Grobler says. 'People can maintain a high performance level longer than they used to be able to.'

© Copyright Christopher Dodd, 1997.