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I met Tim and his coach, Claes Frans outside the boat tents at HRR.  He had just won his first round race in the Diamonds against Walton of Leicester RC.
 
I ask Claes about their history together.  "We started working together in 1998 at our club, Koninklijke Roeivereniging Brugge (KRB).  It isn't a big club with about 80 competitors and and a lot of recreational rowers.  I was coaching a lot of young boys together and Tim was one of the best and we started to go into the national team and there were 3 together worlds in Linz in a quad scull and we got 6th. 

The year after I spent more time with Tim and we got selected for the Junior Worlds in 1x and won bronze in Plovdiv.

Do you worry about being smaller than other single scullers? I was generally a little smaller than the rest from when I was a junior and its the same now.  I made a choice to row as a heavyweight so I don't have to complain about it.

I studied in Ghent and I continue to live there and in the winter I go back to Brugge to train on the canal because that is very good. I stopped rowing after the juniors because I was studying but after a two year break in 2002 I did a double for U23 and we came 6th.  We carried on in that combination and in 2003 we missed qualification for the Athens Olympics when we came 13th [the cut-off for pre-qualification was 12th].  This was a disappointment.

In 2004 I changed to the single scull and it just worked.  After the first world cup I was 7th and I realised that maybe I could go to the Olynmpics.

What did you mean "it just worked"?  I was just fast I knew I was fast as a junior single but the senior is different I didn't know what to expect but competing with the rest of the field and came 7th I knew if I worked a bit harder I knew I would be a bit closer.  The extra work was with my physio comprising back and abdominal strength to improve my positions [posture] and long endurance work as well.  The core stability was a problem after 2004 when I got a back injusry.  But it really increased my speed.

Claes, what did you learn as a coach from working with the Physio? The physio spent a lot of time with us at camps and races and I know him well.  He told me things I should look after and look out for and also in the weight training for correct posture.  At that time I wasn't a full time professional coach so in 2006 I became professional.

When did you become a full time athlete, Tim?  Since 2004 I went pro I had a contract and I finished my studies during 2005. The full time athlete's life in the beginning you have so much free time and so you have to be careful not to go crazy.  But the pressure is much higher because you have to earn your money.  There are four other professionals in Belgium: the mens 2x and womens 1x Anikke.   Tim was the first to get a pro contract and the year later the double and Annik this year. 

I think in modern rowing you have to be professional - you can study half time but full time work and high level rowing is impossible. 

Claes, what improvments would you like to see in Belgian rowing? The changes the rowing federation should make is to look earlier to the younger rowers.  We should want everyone to row in the same way.  When the boys come into the national team there are some different styles and four different styles in one boat.  If we could start and begin them in the same way it would make our life easier as coaches.  Also we need to have the perfect rowing technique from age 14 and after that time the physical condition can be trained later. 

I would also like moire support as they move from a good junior to transition to U23 it is difficult because nobody was looking after the group and and it was being done in the free time of the coaches who also had to look after the pro rowers.  Now it is more strictly followed. We could look for more professional coaches - the money for that can't come from the clubs - unlike the big ones in Britian, we can't afford it.  I am the only pro coach after the head coach.  The government should spend money on that.  

Tim, Claes do you have any advice for young athletes? Tim: enjoy the rowing, improve your technique and listen to the coach.  First enjoy the rowing especially when youare young.  Claes: If you enjoy it then you need a lot of training so you don't forget you need to work hard - more than 2-3 times a week. You have to do it when the conditions are bad like rain or windy.  It is hard work to get to a high level.  

Follow Tim on his Facebook page.

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A classic hot Henley started today.

I am graced with a press badge and so will be in the press stand watching the racing and looking out for good rowing and close racing.

Henley Town looked magnificent and festive.

Here are Manchester University BC winning their race with Dreher Apex Sweeps.

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Is taking part the most important thing?  We grow up being told that Baron Pierre de Coubertin who founded the modern Olympics said that taking part is more important than winning.  In fact the original of this statement was a speech given by Bishop Ethelbert Talbot at a service for Olympic champions during the 1908 Olympic Games. This sermon apparently inspired de Coubertins’ Olympic Creed. The Olympic Creed reads:

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

These days we hear of teams and individuals ‘failing’ if they don’t win.

At Henley Royal Regatta yesterday I was reminded of this by two conversations.  One was with a senior member of the CUBC who questioned the club’s decision (in which he partook!) to send the young development four from the club to race at HRR in the Prince Albert Challenge Cup .  He felt the failure of the crew not to make it past second round showed they were wrongly selected.  They were eliminated by the strong favourites, Newcastle University.  Their losing time was the second fastest for the day of all the competitors in this event; they had the luck to get to race the best crew in the event early.  They raced aggressively and well, they reached a higher level than they had previously.

Was this failure?  I think not.

The second discussion was with a friend who coaches a top level crew which had an easy win against inexperienced opposition.  He shared the trip in the umpire’s launch with the parents of the opposing crew.  The parents were bursting with pride at the achievements of their sons.  They had done something no other member of their club or family had ever done before.  They failed to trouble the top crew but left happy and standing tall. 

Was this failure? I think not.

One of the great things about HRR is that it allows, even encourages, these things.  The top ends of the events often produce great racing between well matched opponents, but the unique qualifying procedure and entry requirements allow, and encourage, the quixotic and hopeful entrants and can force us to look at how we define, and relate to, winning and losing.  

Well done to the Stewards!

Duncan

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Wednesday at Henley is fun. It's a full day of racing, with 80 planned at 10 minute intervals throughout the day. It's quieter than the weekend, but still comfortably busy, especially with parents of all the school crews.

My own plan failed today, I was expecting to be able to get some video but never managed it. One complication is spending time in Stewards which has a complete phobia about mobile phones.

So I can wander round the enclosure with a huge DSLR ot a video camera, but it looks like I can't use the same functions on the tiny phone. Although when being used as a camera, it looks nothing like the phone.

Few of the races I saw today were close. The regatta publishes a daily list of crews to watch, but few had any serious action today, the ones I saw getting ahead and staying there comfortably. That included this TSS crew in the Thames, who had had to cover one of their sponsors logos, after it had been decided that sponsorship from a 'adult' club was not to shown.

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Just some fun!

Rowperfect Advert for Regatta Radio

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During Henley Royal Regatta the  Rowperfect team will be out on the towpath and in the boat tents bringing you updates from our unique (!) perspective.

Rachel Clarke has joined us as a blogger and will be reporting both in words and video posts.

Duncan Holland is coming to the British Rowing Journalists dinner on Tuesday with Rebecca Caroe and may well divulge all sorts he learns there.

Grant Craies is coaching CUBC with a crew in the Prince Albert. 

Rebecca Caroe is commentating on Regatta Radio and has set up a Twitter account so you can follow her RebeccaCaroe and RachelClarke daily. 

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