ROWING Strict Training Urged For Olympic Oarsmen

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30062, 21 February 1963, Page 21

ROWING Strict Training Urged For Olympic Oarsmen

(Wtw Zealand Frew Awoetottcm) AUCKLAND, February 20. Mr D. D. Rowlands, who was recently reappointed a New Zealand rowing selector, believes that a programme involving even more discipline and planning to that staged before the Perth Empire Games most be prepared for next year’s Olympics.

Mr Rowlands, the manager of the highly successful New Zealand rowing oootiagrat at Perth, said tedey that he would insist on the two features of the Empire Games programme being repeated. These are a priority trial to determine the best crews and the formation of a composite eight. "I don’t like the expression selectors’,’’ said Mir Rowlands. “There must be no more selection as such. The oarsmen must select themselves. “If a programme is set in advance the oarsmen know what is expected of them. For years they have ignored the stopwatch. The oarsmen have fooled themselves—and the Olympic and Empire Games Association. “The standards must be reached, just as standards for mile runners and high jumpers must be reached.” Mr Rowlands said that he hopes to have a composite eight-oar crew organised by May. “My own opinion is that we can do a better and more thorough job than before," he

said. “We have to be rtringeot and rttthiear That wm the way the GHonaae made themselves world champions. “We wifi be looking for more Mreogth this time. X feel that we can step up the whole programme and make it even more successful.” Mr Rowlands said he firmly believed that Auckland was again the only province in which such a programme could be sitaged and that Mr E. Craies was again the only man fitted to coach the eight