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Welcome to the end of summer round-up newsletter from Rowperfect.

With the Olympic fire fading fast, it's time to look forward to the coming season. If you missed our summary of the Olympians who were writing about the regatta it's all here.

Many clubs run a clubhouse clean-up day and boat cleaning and rigging session.  Don't forget that we can supply you with spare oar buttons, scull grips, pitch gauges and cox box wiring looms.
And if you have new joiners and want to show off a video of good technique, the Rowing and Sculling DVD is useful.  Rob Roy used the FISA Sculling DVD on its summer sculling camp to good effect.

Our interview with David Low has some cunning tricks for head racing and improving the boat movement through the water.

And so enjoy the autumn and we'll see you out on the water while the evening light still lasts!

Rebecca Caroe and Grant Craies
Rowperfect UK

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Download Rowperfect Newsletter 23

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When starting this feature linking to Olympic rowing bloggers, We had not intended to include non-athletes.  But Xeno Muller i s giving an expert and excellent commentary on the mens singles event at the Olympics hosted on Row2k  We think this warrants inclusion.  

To see his earlier posts, search on the category "Xeno Muller ". from the Categories column on the right. 

Drysdale is sick… is the opening ceremony to blame?

As an Olympic athlete you seek to control your workouts, your food intake, your rest, who you spend time with, pretty much everything that can be controlled. Some situations can not be controlled, but can be avoided… such as the opening ceremonies.

I have gone to three Olympics and attended none. I enjoyed watching the events on TV. In 1992, not going to the opening ceremonies was upsetting. The coaches gave us several good reasons. First the rowing venue was over 100KM away from Barcelona's Olympic stadium, the commute would take forever. Second, the single scull heat was in the morning the next day. Third, may as well be the most important reason, the need to avoid people and their potential germs. You never know what germs other people carry. At the Olympics not everyone is set to win a medal and therefore are not as worried with their health and hygiene.
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Xeno Muller writing on Row2k Olympic blogs

Men's single scull semifinal analysis

As I look at the time sheet of the first men's single scull semifinal, I remember different strategies my competitors and I had. In this 2008 semi, Olympic patience is what stands out when I read the times of the top three qualifiers. Karonen, Tufte, and Maeyens, kept their cool, while Hacker, a notorious fast starter accompanied by Hardcastle, whose best achievement was "only" 11. at the world championship in 2007, took the initiative to stir up the field and break away, without looking at their physical and mental gas tanks.

From my own experience the top three qualifiers had spoken with their coaches about such a scenario and psycho analyzed Hacker as being a wild man, capable of a lot, yet fragile in the head, therefore breakable. The Australian was perceived as a competitor with a good first 1000M but not to get intimidated by it, because of a lack of past results in the single scull. Finally, Andre Vonarburg a consistent sculler in the small final, who has made it to the A-final at world cups, who usually gets beaten by Hacker, and he had not shown any dangerous speed so far in China.

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Xeno is writing on Row2k and following the mens singles competition in Beijing.

After watching the video of the semifinal of the men's single scull

I just finished watching the first semi of the men's single scull on NBCOLYMPICS.com and what a nail biter that was. I was carefully watching the Belgian single sculler. Hats off to him, he fought off the combined charge of Tufte and Hacker throughout the entire 2000 meters. The Belgian's show of speed today, reinforces my believe that if there is a tailwind for the Olympic final he is a medal contender.

As I write this blog, I am simultaneously watching the second semi. Throughout the field of single scullers, I see "effort" in the stroke, which indicates a lack of hanging off the leg drive. Others lack the fluid connection between the last quarter of the leg drive and back swing.Now, we are almost at the five hundred meter mark and I hate to say this, but it looks like the qualifying spots are already determined.
The British single sculler seems content with rank 3 and leaves the fight for rank one and two to Drysdale and Synek.

I believe that this is a psychological race between Synek and Drysdale.
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Xeno Muller reflects on the increase of spectators at Olympic regattas on his Row2k blog

The Grand Stands are getting longer and longer

Back in 1992 at the Barcelona Olympics, a racing competitor could hear the crowd cheer from a small patch of land 150 meters before the finish line. The spectators were piled up on a small grand stand and if you were VIP, a river boat was your other option to view the racing from. Tactically, it was crucial to start your final push BEFORE being able to hear the cheering, otherwise, you would have "missed the boat" for an effective sprint to the finish line.
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Xeno blogs on Row2k as he watches the heats and gives his view on the wide range of different techniques.

Rowing technique at the Olympics…

During Sunday's heats I observed different rowing styles and focused a bit on which crews connect through the heels or the balls of the feet at the finish. Which of the two is more efficient, that question I leave open.

I used the lightweight women's heats and men's lightweight first heat as reference.
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Xeno Muller a former Olympic gold and silver medalist writes on Row2k 

Hello rowers and rowing fans.

My name is Xeno Muller. I won Olympic gold and silver in the men's single scull in 1996 and in 2000. My first Olympics was back in 1992 in Spain. I was invited to add to the Olympic blog on ROW2K and I am PUMPED to do so.

As my title explains, I am at home watching the Olympics via www.nbcolympics.com in an armchair… this is going to change. My kids ages 10-9-6 were watching the opening ceremonies and expressed how much fun it would be if dad was going for the 2012 Olympics. My answer: "Kids, say no more, let's do it!" So this morning I did my first official erg workout at home.
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