Ursula & Abby lw2x for USA

[OARZ]

shatted

It would have been better if that was all you said.

[Stewie Griffin Should Cox]

Bulldog

Ursula's decline started a long time before she left Carlos. Evidence and "data" as you so wish to call it was trials in the 1x last summer and then underperformance at the worlds.

Therefore your complete arguement has zero credibility.

[lt.wolf]

The key to yesterdays win came down to one person. Not Ursula , not Abby , nor Julie , it was Hedstrom. She is by far the best technically out of all of them. ( I told you this after NSR 1 ) She is the weight maker and pound giver and did not deal with any drama or retirements. Her head was in the game, she put her head down and worked. She blends well into any boat. Julie is good and provides the spark but Kristen rows so much better than the rest of them in my mind, that combined with her weight carries the double.

That is where the key to yesterday came from.

[crewu]

Everyone likes a shout out. So, thanks Bulldog! Lol.

But there is no joy in being right when it means someone loses.I hope U&A get themselves a new coach and get USRowing's support to attend the world cups with nichols and Hedstrom (big congrats to both of you!).

[gdoyle]

And I hope there are SEVEN ladies racing in SEVEN lightweight seats for the USA this summer. If any need "extra" preparation for 2012, I'd rather see the money put forward to keep them in Europe for the full circuit tour.

[crewu]

They will pick their current coach, John Parker.

This is one part of the equation that still bugs me. If someone is fired by USRowing/OKC national training center for violating a code of the organization, to me that is serious enough that it necessarily disqualifies that individual from any further relationship with the national team - at least for the remainder of the season.

The women's l/w 2x could well go to trial so this may be far from resolved yet.

[bayrower]

They will pick their current coach, John Parker.

This is one part of the equation that still bugs me. If someone is fired by USRowing/OKC national training center for violating a code of the organization, to me that is serious enough that it necessarily disqualifies that individual from any further relationship with the national team - at least for the remainder of the season.

The women's l/w 2x could well go to trial so this may be far from resolved yet.

I absolutely agree. And again it is bad judgment on the part of all involved as well.

[SamG]

well, i got that wrong, hedstrom/Nichols by 2 seconds over U & A. given that U & A were 7th in the world in NZ the faster combination in NSR2 should in concept be capable of the A final at worlds.

[loblaw]

They will pick their current coach, John Parker.

This is one part of the equation that still bugs me. If someone is fired by USRowing/OKC national training center for violating a code of the organization, to me that is serious enough that it necessarily disqualifies that individual from any further relationship with the national team - at least for the remainder of the season.

The women's l/w 2x could well go to trial so this may be far from resolved yet.

I absolutely agree. And again it is bad judgment on the part of all involved as well.

This whole thing has the look of Shakespearean tragedy-lite. I can't imagine going through any of this whole drawn out slow-motion multi-planar derailing, especially in semi-public view. Best of luck to whoever shows up on the line in 2012. It would be a small miracle if the US comes out of it with a medal in the LW event.

[Stewie Griffin Should Cox]

Only the fastest boat possible will medal.

I am not convinced that is together currently. For sure, we don't know.
I hope we see USA A and B at the World Cup

I still suspect this will go to trials.

[crewu]

My guess is this will likely go to Trials and we will not see the boat qualified for London as a result.

USRowing is unlikely to support U&A financially or logistically this summer either based on the support offered to non-qualified small boats next year:
a) Non-Qualified Small Boats: (possibly: M1x, W1x, W2x, W2-, LW2,
M2x, M2-, and LM2x)
1) The winner of the Non-Qualified Olympic Event Small Boat
Trials (April 9-12, 2012) will qualify to represent the United
States in the FISA Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in
Lucerne, SUI on May 20-23, 2012....The logistical arrangements and costs associated with
competing in the FISA Final Olympic Qualification Regatta
will be solely the responsibility of the athletes. USRowing
will complete the required entry to the Regatta.

So, if we do not qualify the boat this year then next year two lightweights must make weight and "peak" for several days of racing in April at the small boat trial and then "peak" again and make weight a month later in May at the final Olympic qualification regatta. Good news is if they qualify they have a little time to find themselves in time for the Olympics.

[fatty]

Wolf said:

The key to yesterdays win came down to one person. Not Ursula , not Abby , nor Julie , it was Hedstrom. She is by far the best technically out of all of them. ( I told you this after NSR 1 ) She is the weight maker and pound giver and did not deal with any drama or retirements. Her head was in the game, she put her head down and worked. She blends well into any boat. Julie is good and provides the spark but Kristen rows so much better than the rest of them in my mind, that combined with her weight carries the double.

This is an interesting statement given that Julie beat Kristen in the LW1x at the NSR and that Julie already owns a World Championship medal in the LW2x. Certainly Kristen is a top athlete and one of the rare lightweights that can compete successfully while being naturally below average, but Julie also makes that double go.

My bet is that whoever represents the US at Worlds this year will qualify the boat. I believe the Dutch LW2x which won (or at least medaled) in 2004 went through the qualification regatta, so, while that's certainly not the ideal path, it can be done.

Who will coach Julie and Kristen? Which world cup will they attend? Are Abby and Ursula going to stick together?

[crewu]

I didn't interpret Wolf's remarks as a knock on any of the other three athletes - he's just saying that Hedstrom was the key to the difference in the results, all else being equal. She is cool, calm and collected and knows how to race. She's a cat.

She has what Ursula needs to find and can only do so with more racing experience and the right mental approach. Going to race real competition in Europe this summer without the pressures of qualifying is where Ursula can find this. She needs to learn how to relax under pressure on the race course. Some say she was beaten up at trials/WCs last year. Wrong. Same thing at NSR2 - she had/has the physical ability and skill but was still a novice to fierce rowing competition.

If U&A go to Europe this summer, with the right coach - and yes that could be Carlos but I doubt that it would be - I can see them finishing top four at one of the world cups - when they have nothing to actually gain by doing so.

[Stewie Griffin Should Cox]

A good post Crewu. Some valid points.

Two bits are wrong. Ursula definitely had dropped in performance by trials last year. Again its up to her to explain why but Wolf called it all year.

Secondly, if U+A race the world cup and finish in the top four and by doing so push K+J into 5th, then they have blocked the direct route. It's going to be a furiously fast season in all Olympic events and top 4 is going to be harder than last year.

I would like to see the doubles going head to head. See if a few weeks for Abby makes a diference,and Ursula's head post 'scandal' is clearer, but also see if K+J improve with more time together.

The big conundrum would be if U+A came 3rd and K+J 4th. Despite being slower, they will have won selection. Or if K+J came 4th in WC 1 and U+A won world cup 2,

But that's the US system. It doesn't maximize the boats potential and can result in a scenario like the above.

[nopainjustlegs]

I do not think that Ursula is declining, or anything. Rather, what I see is a serious drop-off from day two to day three in their performance. I think what is needed is a focused assessment of who of about the top 6 ltwt women work best together in a double (and I agree with Wolf to start with Hedstrom, then build, tear down, and build again), and then, a concerted effort to train at weight, or as near it as is reasonable, with a focus on three day race endurance. This is a cycle which will have to work itself out after the world championships this season, but this is what will optimize success in 2012 when it matters most. This coaching shake-up has repercussions, but the focus has to be kept on going as fast as possible- a failure to do that cost someone their job, and focusing on that situation perpetuates that failure to build speed. It is insane to worry that between Princeton, OKC, Chula, and the whole Nat'l Team staff that there isn't a coach who can get the LW2X to the place it should be- on the medal stand. I hope to see a USA A & B at a world cup, but I think we'll see this last weekend's winner at World's 2011, but 2012 is wide open.