This month saw the first hit out of the British Rowers on the Olympic course at Dorney, Eton. All the rowers were racing in a selection regatta vying for their place in the 2011 World Championship team.

This regatta also doubles for the major qualification regatta for the London Olympics. The standard of the World Championships builds through the Olympiad and this one is no exception. The prize is confirmation of a boat in London and the planning and preparation that can make the difference of a medal in 2012.

The individual racing this month was just as cut throat. This regatta was an open trial so any registered British rower who achieved a realistic standard can challenge the current team for their slot.

In 2010 the British rowing team returned to the United Kingdom having its most successful World Championships, topping the medal table and having a strong performance across all 14 boat classes. There were nine medals from these 14 opportunities, four of them gold. Feet are firmly on the ground amongst the athletes and coaches but 2010 has shown what could be possible at Dorney, Eton in 2012.

In preparation for 2012 we are looking to expose the British rowers to the Dorney, Eton conditions under race stress as part of their Olympic preparation. Olympics tend to come to you rather than you to them, time is running down and as an outdoor sport it is important that we prepare our rowers well for the conditions and environments they will face. Every Olympics has it owns challenges; a home Olympics is no exception. For some athletes and teams it will be an advantage and for some a disadvantage, again preparation is crucial.



As part of our Olympic orientation late last year we brought the athletes and coaches inside the planning and logistics for 2012. This involved meetings and discussions with the BOA (British Olympic Association) and members of LOCOG (London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games). The less you leave to chance the better the focus is on the performance. The accommodation was inspected, the meals and facilities were tested, the transport logistics, ticketing, the kitting out, the regatta course set up were all shared and discussed. The orientation finished off with a bus ride to the Stratford and a visit to the LOCOG offices at Canary wharf.

What stuck in my mind from the orientation is what a fantastically organised and well thought out these Olympics these will be. The venues and athletes village are absolutely outstanding; LOCOG and ODA (Olympic Deliver Authority) have done a fantastic job. The Games will bring huge pride to the British public, this will not only be based on how well the Games are organised but also by the success of the British team.

In a month when the Olympic schedule has been unveiled to the public, I am sure that LOCOG will also have the best interests of the home team in mind in their preparation for what should be a spectacular Games. This doesn’t need to disadvantage other teams. Venue access, weather condition information, and team competition zone positioning are all areas that LOCOG can help make a difference.

All they need to do is think first of the home team. The medals are won in centimetres and hundredths of seconds. This is all part of the home team advantage. It is no coincidence in Bejing that the Chinese rowers had the best positioned boat bay and nor was it coincidence that the same occurred in Sydney for the Australian rowing team.

Another thing they might like to do is stick a few banners up at Heathrow Airport. According to Wikipedia around 66 million people come through the airport annually, you would never guess coming through Heathrow that Britain was welcoming the world to the Worlds Greatest Sporting Competition in 515 days.

Paul Thompson, is the GB Rowing Team’s Chief Coach for Women and Lightweights. He has coached Olympic champion and medallist crews at the last four Olympic Games, including having a home Games experience in Sydney. At the 2010 World Rowing Championships his squad won four golds in the Olympic classes, including the double scull world champions Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins