August 2, 2024 • 16 mins
Kiwi rowers have been bringing in the medals in Paris, a bronze, a silver, and a gold all in the space of one day.
Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis brought home the Gold in the women’s double sculls, the women’s four took the Bronze, and finally, the men’s four claimed the silver.
Lucy Spoors and Matt Macdonald joined Jason Pine for a chat about their success in the games, and what it feels like to claim those medals.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk zed B.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
One hundred meters to go, Brook Francis, Lucy Spores. They've
got thin noses in front. Can they maintain the lead?
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Half a boat length?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Francis Spores, Gold Beckons for the New Zealand Women's double skulls.
Down to the line.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
That's gold, gold for.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
New Zealand, Brook Francis, Lucy Spores, Olympic champions. Magnificent from
the New Zealand women's double.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Skulls crew, no outstanding call from Malcolm Jordan. Gold for
Brook Francis and Lucy Spores and the women's double skulls
a silver and a bronze as well, as I say,
we'll get to those in the sec But after they
won that gold medal, I spoke with Lucy Spores to
see how it felt to be an Olympic champion double sculler.
Speaker 5 (00:59):
Oh, it feels unbelievable and it's just slowly starting to
sink in. I think when you're racing, you can only
either think so far ahead and you're always sort of
thinking about the moment and what's ahead of.
Speaker 6 (01:09):
You for that day.
Speaker 5 (01:10):
So to be here now in New Zealand house, celebrating
with family and friends.
Speaker 6 (01:13):
It's sort of just starting to all sit in.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
It's been a journey, hasn't it. You know.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
I think a lot of people are becoming aware of
your story after Tokyo, a way to start a family
back now a couple of mums who are now gold medalists.
How do you reflect on the last three years of
your life?
Speaker 5 (01:32):
Oh, I'm so I'm so proud, I guess and I
have taken some time today to sort of reflect on
where we've come from and what it has taken, because
I guess there was a point there where, yes, we
had both just given birth and I felt so far
physically from where I needed to be as an Olympian,
(01:53):
and also I was going through, you know, such mental
changes as a mother.
Speaker 6 (01:58):
You know, it really changes who you are.
Speaker 5 (01:59):
So together it all together and to persevere when you
know that you're, you know, sort of scraping up the
bottom of the Royal New Zealand team and you're not
on form at all. It has taken a lot of patience, yeah,
and I think a lot of courage from both of us,
and I definitely couldn't have done it without Brook because
to have someone who was, you know, just three months
(02:19):
ahead of me postpartum, and you know, to be able
to have her to ask questions of and things like that,
it's been yeah, amazing and definitely a journey.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Did you always feel as though you would make it
to Paris?
Speaker 5 (02:34):
I think, if I'm honest, we both didn't return to
sport without believing that we could be in Paris. The
first thing I wanted to take off was obviously qualifying
the boat and getting here. But you know, we both
had silver and Tokyo, and we both I think had
a real drive to be here, not to just make
up the numbers. So yeah, I think I think there
(02:56):
has been a deep belief throughout, even though from the
outside it probably.
Speaker 6 (03:00):
Didn't really look like that for a really long time.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Well let's look at this race. You were third at
one thousand, then accelerated to take the lead from Romania
around the fifteen hundred meter mark, and then they came
at you at the end.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Was did the race go to plan? What is it?
What you planned?
Speaker 5 (03:19):
We have a very set race plan for obviously different
stages of the race, which I know like the back
of my hand. But today's sort of the main goal
was we went out there thinking that we had to
be brave. The Romanians have been unbelievably dominant for the
last three years since Tokyo, and they're really dangerous, you know,
(03:39):
in that last five hundred, and going up beside them
in that last five hundred wasn't exactly where I would have.
Speaker 6 (03:46):
Said was the perfect place to be.
Speaker 5 (03:48):
But I also just back, you know Brooks so much,
and I thought, if we get our bow out, I reckon,
we're not going to give it up. And I kind
of feel like that's exactly what we did. We just
once we got our bow out, we were just hanging on,
hanging on, hanging on, and the rate was coming up
and up. But I think we just knew, we knew
we could hang in there.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
I remember the men's double scullers Joseph Sullivan Nathan Cohen
winning gold in London and twenty twelve, and from memory
that was a sprint finish as well.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Was that Were you aware.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Of that sort of finish that might be required to
win gold in a regatta like this.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
And it's funny you say that because we've actually told
told a lot of people that today is that we
talked about it if it came down to that, and
we knew that the last couple of strokes would have
to be punchy and really effective, and coming into the
last hundred, Brook actually yelled Joe, and I knew exactly
what that meant.
Speaker 6 (04:42):
I knew that the margin was super tight.
Speaker 5 (04:45):
And I mean it was only sort of an hour
ago that I actually looked at the times and realized
how plus it was.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
That's amazing that your channeled those guys from twelve years
ago to get.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
You across the line. That's outstanding, of course.
Speaker 5 (04:57):
Yeah, and I actually I actually wrote nothing like Joe Sullivan,
Like He's a short, powerful guy and I'm much longer,
and I don't actually know that I'm capable of rowing
like him, but it's what I was thinking about.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Oh, whatever it was, it worked. Of course, you won
silver and the women's eight back in Tokyo. How different
has it been with Brooke, just the two of you
compared to a team of eight or nine?
Speaker 5 (05:21):
Actually, yes, and I mean the team of eight was
an amazing experience, and I wouldn't change it for the world,
because you know, those girls were absolutely you know, we're
friends forever now.
Speaker 6 (05:33):
But to do this with Brook.
Speaker 5 (05:36):
Now that we've done that as two months together, I
can't imagine it working out so well if I was
in a bigger boat with so many people having to
make compromise, you know, just having us as a unit,
I think all mothers know you've got to be flexible
and things are changing all the time, and the amount
of times we've had to adapt and change things on
the fly, it has been difficult and it hasn't been easy,
(05:58):
and probably having just the two of us in the
one boat has yeah given us the ability to do
there the best of times.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Amazing.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
And you weren't the only sports girl to have a
dual with Romanians today. Your sister Phoebe of course, part
of the women's four who won bronze and they were
battling away with the Romanians for the back end of
their race as well. Did you get the chance to
watch that race?
Speaker 6 (06:22):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (06:22):
I did, And I think I ruined about ten other
people's media interviews in the media shoot because I was
absolutely screaming for thieves. But I was so conscious of
wrapping up my own interviews and getting myself in a
place where I could yell my hit off for her,
because I really believed that they could also have a
good race.
Speaker 6 (06:42):
And I feel the same about the whole New Zealand
rolling team.
Speaker 5 (06:44):
You know, we're all family, and I think we're heading
into another couple of really exciting days. You know, all
our training partners are about to go next and it's
going to be cool.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
So cool al right and just before you go, obviously
a new mum. Now are your son Rupert? I believe
he's there with you? Presumably, yes, he is, so.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
Brooke and I have moved into the hotel and the
team hotel Paris, so he's staying with my partner and
my parents in an airbnb. But he's here. He's been
watching every day. Today was really hot for him. He's
been He needs to have a few ice blocks.
Speaker 6 (07:18):
And calm down.
Speaker 5 (07:19):
But for an eighteen month old, he said, some pretty
big days.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
I remember those days as when my kids were about
that age year. Nothing like an ice block to come
somebody down on a hot day. Outstanding, Lucy, congratulations on
the gold medal. Everybody back here is just utterly delighted
with what you've achieved. More to come, I know from
the rowing team. Thanks so much for taking the time
for a chat. Thanks so much as Lucy Spores gold
medalist in the women's double skulls along with Brook Francis.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Not long after that, of course, there was silver for
the men's four.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
They're almost bow to about now the New Zealand Crewe, McLean,
Olrich Murray and McDonald.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Can they run down the US?
Speaker 2 (07:58):
I think it's going to be just beyond them, the
USA coming down to the line in first position gold,
US silver, New Zealand yah silver for the men's four
comprising Ollie McLain, Logan, Ulrich, Tom Murray and Matt McDonald.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
I spoke to Matt McDonald not long after they received
their medals and asked how it felt around his neck.
Speaker 7 (08:22):
It feels effect it's heavy, super shiny where we're over
the moon with how our race went and how the
overall the regatta went for us. Yeah, we're we're extremely proud.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
Pipped by the United States who led from start to finish,
but g you gave it a good go. Can you
Can you talk about the race? Can you take us
through it from start to finish?
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (08:46):
Yeah, the Americans were exceptional today. I don't think they
put a foot wrong and we soon knew we were
going to have to have our perfect race for it
to be that closed or for it to be goal
for us, and I think, you know, we we did
just about one hundred percent perfect race, and you're right,
they did from start to finish, and we knew we
(09:09):
needed to have a good start and get away quickly
with them, which I think we did a decent job of,
and then I think they sort of moved away slowly
in that sort of second five hundred, and we then
did a really good job of coming back up to
them in the third five hundred, and then it was
really exciting coming into the last five hundred. We I
(09:30):
think we drew pretty much level with them and thought
we had a real shot at the gold and we
were just chasing the line the whole way, and I think,
you know, with that little buffer that they had built
earlier on in the race, they were able to sort
of cover our move. But we're extremely proud the way
we raced and left everything out there. So you know,
(09:52):
I think none of us have any regrets. And they
were the top crew today.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Yeah, perfectly described. It's a tough class, isn't it. I mean,
outside of the eight, it feels like the men's four
is a really tough class. I think yours is just
the third podium finish in this class. Does it feel
does it feel really competitive this class?
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (10:14):
It does. I feel like the Memes four is like,
you know, the f one of rolling to be fair,
apart from the aids, but they're more like a steam train,
you know, like the way the boat goes the four
is super light and flighty and you it's a it's
a real magic boat to row when when you're up
out of the water. So yeah, and I think that's
(10:36):
reflected in the in the sort of level of rolling
in that field. You know, there was sex crews lining
up there could have won that race on the day.
So to come away with silver where we're super stoked
and and to be amongst GB and USA on the
(10:56):
podium is is really cool because to the last three
and regattas, including this one, that's been the same podium,
different orders each time. But it's been a great, great
competition racing against those guys, and we've built a bit
of camaraderie over the last eighteen months or so since.
Speaker 6 (11:18):
Will Champs in Serbia.
Speaker 7 (11:19):
So yeah, all in aws, it was a great day.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
Yeah, not bad company to be and that's for sure.
Of course, you were part of the eight that won
in Tokyo three years ago with Tom Murray, Ollie and
Logan at their first games. Did you have to look
after the first timers or do you all actually was
it all okay once you got out there?
Speaker 7 (11:43):
Oh no, no, it was it was all okay. Oli
and Logan a seasoned races in their own right, so
we had, you know, everyone had total trust in each
other's ability and knew that we were going to go
racing and perform really well because that's sort of the
strength of our crew. I'd say, like a two k
race is really our bread and butter. We're kind of
(12:06):
not the best lower stroke rate crew or over longer distances,
but as soon as we get to open it up
and go for a race, so that's where we really shine.
So no, there was no sort of looking after the
younger guys at all. They were they were raring to
go and we're all on great form.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
And by the time you guys crossed for your silver,
of course, that was that was the complete set for
New Zealand on the day, with gold and the women's
double skulls bronze and the women's four I'm not sure
how does it work, Matt?
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Can you watch those races? Did? Were you aware of
the results before you hit the water?
Speaker 7 (12:43):
We were definitely aware of the women's double result. It
was it was quite interesting timing because the way the
venues set up, we were sort of sort of on
a couple floors above the above the racetrack warming up
on land on the IRG, so we saw the women's
double come down and saw them when So that was
(13:07):
massively a huge boost of motivation and confidence as we're
just about to get on the water to see another
key we crew that we've been training alongside do the
business and win. So yeah, like we got to see.
Speaker 6 (13:20):
Them do that.
Speaker 7 (13:22):
And then we were on the water in the warm
up area just adjacent to the course when the women's
four came down and I think we saw them with
five hundred meters to go and they were near connected
with Romania going to the last five hundred, so it
was really all to play for for the bronze at
that point, and Romain is not necessarily the nation you
(13:44):
want to come up against in a sprint, so I
had full confidence in our girls, but I knew it
was going to take an epic last five hundred. So
when when we got to the middle pond turn and
saw their boats sitting there, that was when we realized
that the Woman's four had got a middle two, so
that there was another win right there in that and
(14:06):
so it was an epic sort of our forty five
minutes kind of thing. It was a real high for
the whole.
Speaker 4 (14:14):
Team, absolutely, and for everybody back here, I can tell you,
and there's hopefully more to come, because do you get
the opportunity now to stay on and support your you know,
your country men and women who still have the opportunity
to row for medals.
Speaker 7 (14:27):
Yes, yes, absolutely we'll be there tomorrow and the next
day to watch the rest of the New Zealand crews
come down. And I think it's super it's a unique
situation to have some of the team finish a couple
of days before the others. You know, there becomes a
(14:48):
sense of momentum and the team when certain when crews
are going well and performing because we all do the
same training, we all do the same hours and have
done followed the same program. So as soon as you
get the sense that one crew is going well and
then the other crew goes well, and then another there's
a real confidence in the team that and belief that
(15:09):
what we've done is is really going to work and
pay out. So you can, you know, step out onto
the water knowing knowing that beyond yourself, the whole team
is really on form.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
So good.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
You must be stoked, man, I mean this must just
I know you got your goal from Tokyo, of course,
but I mean this must be special too.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:29):
You know you sound very calm, but you must be euphoric,
are you in a certain sense?
Speaker 7 (15:35):
Yeah, no, absolutely, you for it hasn't really sunk in
yet to be honest, but yeah, to do it in
a different boat class and with a different group of guys,
it's a whole different beasts each campaign, so this one
feels really special. You know, I was I was one
of the young I was one of the youngest guys
(15:57):
in the so I was really just sort of following
the lead and doing the best I could in that boat.
And you know, Tokyo was a massive learning experience, and
I just tried to apply what we had learned through
that boat class to this and it's served us really well.
So yeah, absolutely over the moon.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Congratulations Matt.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
Wonderful stuff from you, from Ollie Logan and Tom as
well and the others who have picked up some precious
metal today as well. May there be a bit more
to come. Thanks for taking the Tom for a chat.
Really appreciate it. Cool.
Speaker 7 (16:28):
Thank you, No Rice, Catch you later.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk zed B.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
One hundred meters to go, Brook Francis, Lucy Spores. They've
got thin noses in front. Can they maintain the lead?
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Half a boat length?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Francis Spores, Gold Beckons for the New Zealand Women's double skulls.
Down to the line.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
That's gold, gold for.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
New Zealand, Brook Francis, Lucy Spores, Olympic champions. Magnificent from
the New Zealand women's double.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Skulls crew, no outstanding call from Malcolm Jordan. Gold for
Brook Francis and Lucy Spores and the women's double skulls
a silver and a bronze as well, as I say,
we'll get to those in the sec But after they
won that gold medal, I spoke with Lucy Spores to
see how it felt to be an Olympic champion double sculler.
Speaker 5 (00:59):
Oh, it feels unbelievable and it's just slowly starting to
sink in. I think when you're racing, you can only
either think so far ahead and you're always sort of
thinking about the moment and what's ahead of.
Speaker 6 (01:09):
You for that day.
Speaker 5 (01:10):
So to be here now in New Zealand house, celebrating
with family and friends.
Speaker 6 (01:13):
It's sort of just starting to all sit in.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
It's been a journey, hasn't it. You know.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
I think a lot of people are becoming aware of
your story after Tokyo, a way to start a family
back now a couple of mums who are now gold medalists.
How do you reflect on the last three years of
your life?
Speaker 5 (01:32):
Oh, I'm so I'm so proud, I guess and I
have taken some time today to sort of reflect on
where we've come from and what it has taken, because
I guess there was a point there where, yes, we
had both just given birth and I felt so far
physically from where I needed to be as an Olympian,
(01:53):
and also I was going through, you know, such mental
changes as a mother.
Speaker 6 (01:58):
You know, it really changes who you are.
Speaker 5 (01:59):
So together it all together and to persevere when you
know that you're, you know, sort of scraping up the
bottom of the Royal New Zealand team and you're not
on form at all. It has taken a lot of patience, yeah,
and I think a lot of courage from both of us,
and I definitely couldn't have done it without Brook because
to have someone who was, you know, just three months
(02:19):
ahead of me postpartum, and you know, to be able
to have her to ask questions of and things like that,
it's been yeah, amazing and definitely a journey.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Did you always feel as though you would make it
to Paris?
Speaker 5 (02:34):
I think, if I'm honest, we both didn't return to
sport without believing that we could be in Paris. The
first thing I wanted to take off was obviously qualifying
the boat and getting here. But you know, we both
had silver and Tokyo, and we both I think had
a real drive to be here, not to just make
up the numbers. So yeah, I think I think there
(02:56):
has been a deep belief throughout, even though from the
outside it probably.
Speaker 6 (03:00):
Didn't really look like that for a really long time.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Well let's look at this race. You were third at
one thousand, then accelerated to take the lead from Romania
around the fifteen hundred meter mark, and then they came
at you at the end.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Was did the race go to plan? What is it?
What you planned?
Speaker 5 (03:19):
We have a very set race plan for obviously different
stages of the race, which I know like the back
of my hand. But today's sort of the main goal
was we went out there thinking that we had to
be brave. The Romanians have been unbelievably dominant for the
last three years since Tokyo, and they're really dangerous, you know,
(03:39):
in that last five hundred, and going up beside them
in that last five hundred wasn't exactly where I would have.
Speaker 6 (03:46):
Said was the perfect place to be.
Speaker 5 (03:48):
But I also just back, you know Brooks so much,
and I thought, if we get our bow out, I reckon,
we're not going to give it up. And I kind
of feel like that's exactly what we did. We just
once we got our bow out, we were just hanging on,
hanging on, hanging on, and the rate was coming up
and up. But I think we just knew, we knew
we could hang in there.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
I remember the men's double scullers Joseph Sullivan Nathan Cohen
winning gold in London and twenty twelve, and from memory
that was a sprint finish as well.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Was that Were you aware.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Of that sort of finish that might be required to
win gold in a regatta like this.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
And it's funny you say that because we've actually told
told a lot of people that today is that we
talked about it if it came down to that, and
we knew that the last couple of strokes would have
to be punchy and really effective, and coming into the
last hundred, Brook actually yelled Joe, and I knew exactly
what that meant.
Speaker 6 (04:42):
I knew that the margin was super tight.
Speaker 5 (04:45):
And I mean it was only sort of an hour
ago that I actually looked at the times and realized
how plus it was.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
That's amazing that your channeled those guys from twelve years
ago to get.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
You across the line. That's outstanding, of course.
Speaker 5 (04:57):
Yeah, and I actually I actually wrote nothing like Joe Sullivan,
Like He's a short, powerful guy and I'm much longer,
and I don't actually know that I'm capable of rowing
like him, but it's what I was thinking about.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Oh, whatever it was, it worked. Of course, you won
silver and the women's eight back in Tokyo. How different
has it been with Brooke, just the two of you
compared to a team of eight or nine?
Speaker 5 (05:21):
Actually, yes, and I mean the team of eight was
an amazing experience, and I wouldn't change it for the world,
because you know, those girls were absolutely you know, we're
friends forever now.
Speaker 6 (05:33):
But to do this with Brook.
Speaker 5 (05:36):
Now that we've done that as two months together, I
can't imagine it working out so well if I was
in a bigger boat with so many people having to
make compromise, you know, just having us as a unit,
I think all mothers know you've got to be flexible
and things are changing all the time, and the amount
of times we've had to adapt and change things on
the fly, it has been difficult and it hasn't been easy,
(05:58):
and probably having just the two of us in the
one boat has yeah given us the ability to do
there the best of times.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Amazing.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
And you weren't the only sports girl to have a
dual with Romanians today. Your sister Phoebe of course, part
of the women's four who won bronze and they were
battling away with the Romanians for the back end of
their race as well. Did you get the chance to
watch that race?
Speaker 6 (06:22):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (06:22):
I did, And I think I ruined about ten other
people's media interviews in the media shoot because I was
absolutely screaming for thieves. But I was so conscious of
wrapping up my own interviews and getting myself in a
place where I could yell my hit off for her,
because I really believed that they could also have a
good race.
Speaker 6 (06:42):
And I feel the same about the whole New Zealand
rolling team.
Speaker 5 (06:44):
You know, we're all family, and I think we're heading
into another couple of really exciting days. You know, all
our training partners are about to go next and it's
going to be cool.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
So cool al right and just before you go, obviously
a new mum. Now are your son Rupert? I believe
he's there with you? Presumably, yes, he is, so.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
Brooke and I have moved into the hotel and the
team hotel Paris, so he's staying with my partner and
my parents in an airbnb. But he's here. He's been
watching every day. Today was really hot for him. He's
been He needs to have a few ice blocks.
Speaker 6 (07:18):
And calm down.
Speaker 5 (07:19):
But for an eighteen month old, he said, some pretty
big days.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
I remember those days as when my kids were about
that age year. Nothing like an ice block to come
somebody down on a hot day. Outstanding, Lucy, congratulations on
the gold medal. Everybody back here is just utterly delighted
with what you've achieved. More to come, I know from
the rowing team. Thanks so much for taking the time
for a chat. Thanks so much as Lucy Spores gold
medalist in the women's double skulls along with Brook Francis.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Not long after that, of course, there was silver for
the men's four.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
They're almost bow to about now the New Zealand Crewe, McLean,
Olrich Murray and McDonald.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Can they run down the US?
Speaker 2 (07:58):
I think it's going to be just beyond them, the
USA coming down to the line in first position gold,
US silver, New Zealand yah silver for the men's four
comprising Ollie McLain, Logan, Ulrich, Tom Murray and Matt McDonald.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
I spoke to Matt McDonald not long after they received
their medals and asked how it felt around his neck.
Speaker 7 (08:22):
It feels effect it's heavy, super shiny where we're over
the moon with how our race went and how the
overall the regatta went for us. Yeah, we're we're extremely proud.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
Pipped by the United States who led from start to finish,
but g you gave it a good go. Can you
Can you talk about the race? Can you take us
through it from start to finish?
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (08:46):
Yeah, the Americans were exceptional today. I don't think they
put a foot wrong and we soon knew we were
going to have to have our perfect race for it
to be that closed or for it to be goal
for us, and I think, you know, we we did
just about one hundred percent perfect race, and you're right,
they did from start to finish, and we knew we
(09:09):
needed to have a good start and get away quickly
with them, which I think we did a decent job of,
and then I think they sort of moved away slowly
in that sort of second five hundred, and we then
did a really good job of coming back up to
them in the third five hundred, and then it was
really exciting coming into the last five hundred. We I
(09:30):
think we drew pretty much level with them and thought
we had a real shot at the gold and we
were just chasing the line the whole way, and I think,
you know, with that little buffer that they had built
earlier on in the race, they were able to sort
of cover our move. But we're extremely proud the way
we raced and left everything out there. So you know,
(09:52):
I think none of us have any regrets. And they
were the top crew today.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Yeah, perfectly described. It's a tough class, isn't it. I mean,
outside of the eight, it feels like the men's four
is a really tough class. I think yours is just
the third podium finish in this class. Does it feel
does it feel really competitive this class?
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (10:14):
It does. I feel like the Memes four is like,
you know, the f one of rolling to be fair,
apart from the aids, but they're more like a steam train,
you know, like the way the boat goes the four
is super light and flighty and you it's a it's
a real magic boat to row when when you're up
out of the water. So yeah, and I think that's
(10:36):
reflected in the in the sort of level of rolling
in that field. You know, there was sex crews lining
up there could have won that race on the day.
So to come away with silver where we're super stoked
and and to be amongst GB and USA on the
(10:56):
podium is is really cool because to the last three
and regattas, including this one, that's been the same podium,
different orders each time. But it's been a great, great
competition racing against those guys, and we've built a bit
of camaraderie over the last eighteen months or so since.
Speaker 6 (11:18):
Will Champs in Serbia.
Speaker 7 (11:19):
So yeah, all in aws, it was a great day.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
Yeah, not bad company to be and that's for sure.
Of course, you were part of the eight that won
in Tokyo three years ago with Tom Murray, Ollie and
Logan at their first games. Did you have to look
after the first timers or do you all actually was
it all okay once you got out there?
Speaker 7 (11:43):
Oh no, no, it was it was all okay. Oli
and Logan a seasoned races in their own right, so
we had, you know, everyone had total trust in each
other's ability and knew that we were going to go
racing and perform really well because that's sort of the
strength of our crew. I'd say, like a two k
race is really our bread and butter. We're kind of
(12:06):
not the best lower stroke rate crew or over longer distances,
but as soon as we get to open it up
and go for a race, so that's where we really shine.
So no, there was no sort of looking after the
younger guys at all. They were they were raring to
go and we're all on great form.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
And by the time you guys crossed for your silver,
of course, that was that was the complete set for
New Zealand on the day, with gold and the women's
double skulls bronze and the women's four I'm not sure
how does it work, Matt?
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Can you watch those races? Did? Were you aware of
the results before you hit the water?
Speaker 7 (12:43):
We were definitely aware of the women's double result. It
was it was quite interesting timing because the way the
venues set up, we were sort of sort of on
a couple floors above the above the racetrack warming up
on land on the IRG, so we saw the women's
double come down and saw them when So that was
(13:07):
massively a huge boost of motivation and confidence as we're
just about to get on the water to see another
key we crew that we've been training alongside do the
business and win. So yeah, like we got to see.
Speaker 6 (13:20):
Them do that.
Speaker 7 (13:22):
And then we were on the water in the warm
up area just adjacent to the course when the women's
four came down and I think we saw them with
five hundred meters to go and they were near connected
with Romania going to the last five hundred, so it
was really all to play for for the bronze at
that point, and Romain is not necessarily the nation you
(13:44):
want to come up against in a sprint, so I
had full confidence in our girls, but I knew it
was going to take an epic last five hundred. So
when when we got to the middle pond turn and
saw their boats sitting there, that was when we realized
that the Woman's four had got a middle two, so
that there was another win right there in that and
(14:06):
so it was an epic sort of our forty five
minutes kind of thing. It was a real high for
the whole.
Speaker 4 (14:14):
Team, absolutely, and for everybody back here, I can tell you,
and there's hopefully more to come, because do you get
the opportunity now to stay on and support your you know,
your country men and women who still have the opportunity
to row for medals.
Speaker 7 (14:27):
Yes, yes, absolutely we'll be there tomorrow and the next
day to watch the rest of the New Zealand crews
come down. And I think it's super it's a unique
situation to have some of the team finish a couple
of days before the others. You know, there becomes a
(14:48):
sense of momentum and the team when certain when crews
are going well and performing because we all do the
same training, we all do the same hours and have
done followed the same program. So as soon as you
get the sense that one crew is going well and
then the other crew goes well, and then another there's
a real confidence in the team that and belief that
(15:09):
what we've done is is really going to work and
pay out. So you can, you know, step out onto
the water knowing knowing that beyond yourself, the whole team
is really on form.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
So good.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
You must be stoked, man, I mean this must just
I know you got your goal from Tokyo, of course,
but I mean this must be special too.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:29):
You know you sound very calm, but you must be euphoric,
are you in a certain sense?
Speaker 7 (15:35):
Yeah, no, absolutely, you for it hasn't really sunk in
yet to be honest, but yeah, to do it in
a different boat class and with a different group of guys,
it's a whole different beasts each campaign, so this one
feels really special. You know, I was I was one
of the young I was one of the youngest guys
(15:57):
in the so I was really just sort of following
the lead and doing the best I could in that boat.
And you know, Tokyo was a massive learning experience, and
I just tried to apply what we had learned through
that boat class to this and it's served us really well.
So yeah, absolutely over the moon.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Congratulations Matt.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
Wonderful stuff from you, from Ollie Logan and Tom as
well and the others who have picked up some precious
metal today as well. May there be a bit more
to come. Thanks for taking the Tom for a chat.
Really appreciate it. Cool.
Speaker 7 (16:28):
Thank you, No Rice, Catch you later.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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