Get around the last-minute Aussie Olympic team that was dudded by Russian cheating

For my first time back on these pages in a while I feel compelled to comment on a very current affair; the unravelling, complex flow on effects of the Russian doping scandal involving our very own Women’s 8 crew.

But let’s start with a short history lesson…

I was asked to write again for The Roar, and in the words of Frank the Tank, and cause I’m old school… “I’m back!!”

With my two-and-a-half Olympics as a rower, in London, Beijing and reserve in Athens, I reckon I have a few insights to share, and will intimately opine on some of the Olympics’ best moments, and perhaps some of the others too. It’s an exciting time for a sports freak and those who love drama, suspense, joy and generally watching athletes (take that however you want).

Since experiencing the treasured moment of seeing the Australian Flag raised on the podium in front of my crew-mates, family and those watching back home while receiving an Olympic Silver Medal at the London 2012 Olympics, I was selected in the Australian Men’s eight this Olympic cycle. We failed to qualify for Rio, finishing ninth, when we needed to finish in the top seven across two Olympic Qualifying events, last year’s World Rowing Championships and the same Olympic Qualifying Regatta the Women’s Eight raced at in Switzerland in May earlier this year. This now leaves me much more time to wonder what might have been… and write of course.

Back to the Russians. Firstly, I’m disappointed in the IOC’s lack of balls to ban the Russian Federation. My Russian friends in rowing may feel hurt by my comment, but it’s their country that has let them down, not me. When you walk behind your country’s flag at the opening ceremony, stand/crouch/sit at the start of your race/event in your country’s uniform (and us rowers tend to have the one of the “smaller” uniforms) you are representing that country.

If I was at Rio (and between you and me, I still wish I was competing over there despite the clusterfuck that is the never-ending press narrative… but more on that next article) I would be seriously pissed if I was beaten by a Russian crew. Individual Russians may be clean, but the country they represent are cheats. They put cheats in positions of control over the nation’s sport and its athletes.

The flow on from the IOC’s decision is that it’s put the call on the International Federations of each sport, so in exciting news for rowing in Australia, on Wednesday FISA (International Rowing Federation) granted our Women’s eight a qualifying place in Rio. That’s ten days before the Games begin!

Chatting to a few of my mates in the Women’s eight last week, while this IOC decision was pending, the now older, curmudgeon cynic I am didn’t expect the IOC to rule in favour of the Aussie Women’s eight (I was right about something) and Australia would not be able to get a boat at such short notice, so they shouldn’t get excited (wrong about that one… thankfully!). The question of whether it was worth it, or even right to still compete given the qualifying race was months ago, and they had been cheated out of a proper preparation, was an interesting one.

The Women haven’t been training specifically to compete at Rio. They rightfully assumed their season was over after two failed qualification attempts… and isn’t that what competing at the Olympics should be about? The Australian Women’s eight crew being at their absolute best and giving themselves the best chance of winning an Olympic gold medal?

Nope. Bloody oath they should go! Yes, the Olympics is about competing at your absolute best, but I don’t think you go to an Olympics solely to win or don’t go at all. If the Olympics is solely about winning, that’s when cheating and drugs become a priority.

For most athletes, we want to win like an Aussie, not like a Russian, and that’s training incredibly flamin’ hard, preparing every part of your body and mind for racing and doing the best you can. If you compete the best you can, and you still don’t win, you will have done the right thing by your team, your country, your sport and all your supporters. The Olympics are about the best from each country, preparing the best they can (by not cheating) and seeing which country’s best is the world’s best.

And the Australian Women’s eight (plus coxswain) going over to Rio is Australia’s best for Rio! They were our best when they were sent to qualify the boat in Switzerland in May, and still are, the best nine women to race an eight in Australia. I want to see our best competing in the toughest, hardest, most exciting event for a rower. They may not be as well prepared to win Gold, or win a medal, but there’s more to being an athlete than winning a medal. Sure they, and every athlete should strive to that, but it’s in striving, either in training or in racing, that you discover your inner competitor. We get to witness those moments and that makes the Olympics what they are.

So get around our Women’s eight (plus coxswain) when they race in Rio.

They might not have prepared like they could have if the Russians hadn’t cheated, cheated them out of their chance to prepare like they would’ve wanted, but they are our best Aussie Women going to take on the best in the world.