Scott Frandsen on the Men's Pair Final in Beijing, and Questions Surrounding Team GB



In the above video, Scott Frandsen of Rowing Canada Aviron discusses his experience of the Olympic final in Beijing, with hints at the work along the road to the podium, and a healthy amount of humor thrown in for good measure. As he mentions in this talk, he and pair partner Dave Calder qualified in the Olympic year (at WC II in Lucerne, where they took gold ahead of NZ and AUS, respectively), which will no doubt perk up the ears of every sweep rower on the U.S. men's squad this year. Also, the men's pair has become the subject of a great deal of debate of late, given the dominance of the Kiwi duo, Hamish Bond and Eric Murray.

There is an excellent article outlining the range of possibilities facing Jurgen Grobler and Team GB, by Rachel Quarrel and Martin Gough of Rowing Voice. The debate remains one of quality versus quantity. The GB squad took home the most medals from the 2011 World Rowing Championships in Bled, but some of their top athletes did not find themselves on top of the podium. As of right now, it seems that Grobler will be trying to decide between fewer and 'golder,' or more medals, but a mixed bag.

A question for RR readers: What would you rather see? Signature, dramatic wins in marquee events, or a show of strength across the board?

-RR

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