Rowing Eight Thriving

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30512, 6 August 1964, Page 19

Rowing Eight Thriving

Believes In Hard Work

When New Zealand’s rowing eight leaves for the Olympic Games it will have rowed the equivalent of from Wel-

lington to Sydney and back in practise.

Its background of preparation, both in the water and on land, is far more strenuous than that of the crew which won a silver medal at the Perth Commonwealth Games in 1962.

The Tokyo squad has already covered 1800 miles in the water; it has run 1800 miles over hill, road, and grass track; spent six hours a week man-handling weights; and worked four hours a week

under a physical education instructor.

It is doubtful whether any individual or team from New Zealand has gone about its Games’ preparation with greater dedication. The squad’s water mileage will be more than double that of its predecessors, whilst its 1800 miles of foot-slogging makes the Perth crew’s roadwork appear like a casual jog. Its best performance, 6min 51.1 sec, the fastest time ever recorded in New Zealand, is

almost 7sec better than the best time of the. Perth eight. Its best time would have taken it into second place behind Germany (6:4) and ahead of Russia (6:7) in the 1963 world championship.