Sally Robbins, better known as “Lay Down Sally” after she stopped rowing mid-race at the Athens Olympics, is confident she will earn the trust of potential teammates ahead of the Beijing Games.
Robbins was composed but appeared nervous at times when quizzed over the fallout since she sent shockwaves through Australian rowing in 2004.
She sparked a furore after downing oars in the last 600 metres of the women’s eight final, in which Australia finished last.
The West Australian missed out on qualifying for the world championships in Munich earlier this year but is hoping to earn a spot in either a single, double or quad sculls boat bound for Beijing.
On Monday, Robbins said the main reason she kept chasing her Olympic dream was self satisfaction rather than an obligation to her sport or the Australian public.
“I mean this is, this is just for me and for my country so I do rowing because I love it and it’s my passion and I have given pretty much 10 or more years to it of my life,” she told reporters at a national training camp in Canberra.
“I am really excited to be back on the path to my Olympic dream.”
Team harmony is one of the 15 criteria Australian selectors consider when picking rowers to go to Beijing.
Robbins, 26, said she was confident she could earn the trust of her teammates.
“I mean, it just comes through training, through racing and there is a whole bunch of new girls as well and they have been really supportive and yeah – it will just, it will take time,” she said.
When asked whether her teammates were worried about being put in a boat with her she replied: “We don’t really focus on the past, we focus on Beijing, that’s our goal and that is all we are going for at the moment and every step is a step forward.”
Robbins said she had kept in contact with several of the other women in the Athens team of eight and the turmoil was “all in the past”.
Australian Rowing head coach Noel Donaldson said Robbins’ stop-row in 2004 would not be detrimental to her chances of gaining a berth in the 2008 Olympic team.
“It is probably not the best thing that has ever happened but it is not a detriment at the moment, no,” he told reporters.
There was no medical reason why Robbins had downed oars, Donaldson said.
“We were very thorough with the debriefing and post-Athens examination to find out whether there was anything behind it other than maybe anxiety, or you know, just basic sport,” he said.
“Some of those sorts of things happen where people can’t perform and there is certainly nothing clinically … behind anything associated with Athens.”
Donaldson said for the past two years Rowing Australia had used the same team-building company employed by the Geelong Football Club to boost morale.
Australia has already qualified 10 boats for Beijing and will have the opportunity to qualify a further four in Poland next June.
If Robbins makes it through a round of cuts in February she will learn her fate at the final selection trials in April.
Bob McGregor
Guest
Australians have always given their all and then some in times of elite competition. We have always referred to some as the type of person I'd want to be in the trenches with if ones life depended on it. There are plenty of recorded instances of athletes who could train the house down and never produce in the white metal of intense competition. One cannot select people on what they may be able do but on what they can do at the coalface. As for me she's a single sculler only, where her results are only dependant on her. I hope she makes it and proves us all wrong.
Rick
Guest
I know it sounds harsh, and I'm all for redemption and second chances, but I think she blew it and shouldn't be given another chance in the eight. It's Ok for us to wish her well but try consoling her teammates who put in years of hard work and sacrifice in Athens - some of whom I assume only had one shot. Happy for her to contest the single scull, just not the eight.
The Cougar
Guest
Yeah, good point. Put her in a single scull and let her take full responsibilty for her efforts. I've got a friend in the Australian men's squad and he says she kills it in all the ergs and other physical tests. She's evidently got a great physique for rowing. LD for SS!
UR Kidding Hey
Guest
Never give up your dreams hey? Unless of course you also ruin the dreams of multiple other people in the process of your determination(selfishness). Every person going for olympic selection loves their sport, is passionate about it, has devoted years of their life to it, and has "olympic Dreams". So what makes the hopes and dreams of Lay Down Sally so much more important than those of her past/ potential team mates????
stillmissit
Guest
A great story yes but why can't she be restricted to single sculls etc? I would be the first to congratulate her if she declared herself only available for single competition. If she gets back in an 8 that will be the worst possible result and would send another death message to the belief that "Aussies never give up". This idea about ourselves has kept both our soldiers and sports people hanging in there when others have given up. it is one of the tenants that define us as a nation. I know, you can claim that LD Sally hasn't given up and has fought on, but the basic idea is that we don't give up when the going gets tough. Not that we don't give up once we are out of the battle zone.
The Cougar
Guest
I think this is a great story. LD Sally has shown great courage to bounce back given how much she copped post-Athens. She obviously loves the sport, and while she could've sulked in the corner and hauled that regretful Olympics baggage around as a close companion, a relatively quick and brave return to rowing will be somewhat therapeutic. Hopefully.