Olympians
FROM THE BEIJING GAMES TO THE HEAD OF THE CHARLES
ANDY ANDERSON
The Head Of The Charles is rowing ’ s national holiday . No other regatta is so festive , so friendly , so fun . There will be reunions of boats that competed long ago , gatherings of scullers from all over the world who ordinarily don ’ t get to compete with each other , and collegiate and high school crews that are looking for a preview of what their spring season will look like . For most of the 8,500 competitors , winning a medal is a dream . It is enough to row the fabled course , challenging themselves with the twisting river and the unforgiving bridges . It is exciting to be racing against so many dedicated athletes .
And every four years the Head Of The Charles Regatta offers us a special treat : a chance to see Olympians , fresh from their competitive experience , smoking up the three mile course , showing us how it ’ s done . It ’ s an inspiring moment when one of the world ’ s best goes by — looking much bigger and more real than they did on television — a treat that both spectator and competitor can delight in . Many undergraduates will brag when they return to Oklahoma City or Cincinnati or Seattle , that they were on the water at the same time as the Olympic Eight . They can compare their split times and imagine how they might have finished if only they had kept it strong between the Footbridge and the Anderson Bridge . There is no other re- gatta where the best in the world and the decidedly ordinary compete in the same event . The Men ’ s Championship Eights will have Great Britain and the US , silver and bronze medalists , competing against JV and third varsity collegiate oarsmen .
This isn ’ t some joke charity event , like trying to score a basket against the Celtics and having your shot swatted into the fortieth row ; it isn ’ t a George Plimpton stunt , mortals embarrassing themselves on the Charles . Everyone will be cranking on it ; those boats out there may not go as fast as the Olympians , but they are moving , too . That ’ s the way the sport works . You can row the same course as medalists and have a very good row , just a little slower . It ’ s like playing in a foursome right behind Tiger Woods . But he doesn ’ t really have to compete with you , does he ? He doesn ’ t have to steer around you .
By the organizers ’ count , this weekend ’ s Regatta will have 250 former and current Olympians and National Team members racing . Oh sure , some of them will not have touched an oar since last year ’ s Head — or maybe ten years ago — but because rowing is often a lifestyle choice , most of them will still fit into their old uniforms and still be out punishing the blade . At this year ’ s Regatta , most of the oohs and ahs will be focused on the US gold medalist Women ’ s Eight . It won ’ t be exactly the
U . S . WOMEN CELEBRATING A GOLD MEDAL TRIUMPH AT THE 2008 BEIJING OLYMPIC GAMES
FORTY-FOURTH HEAD OF THE CHARLES REGATTA21