John Smith and Christopher Baxter chat rowing at the Olympics, giving it their all and looking forward to some rest.
Paris, France (02 August 2024) – Rowing is tough, and experience matters.
I had some time to contemplate life and sport in the hour it took for John Smith and Christopher Baxter to find their way out to the mixed zone post-race. Normally, it’s the event, broadcast press, written press (that’s me), doping checks somewhere before that, and then maybe sometime after that, you get to see your supporters, friends, and family.
Not this time around—it took over an hour. I can’t exactly blame them. I was the only one there from SA. There is no real point in going through the motions just for the sake of it, except for when a random person like me is there.
It’s not an excuse, but there is a lot going on, and as I keep getting told, “You can’t be everywhere and do everything.” But they made their way to me post-shower and talked me through their Olympics experience.
The Demands and Reflections of the Olympic Stage
The heat—rowing in this case, not the weather—was tough, but they pushed through and got through to the semi-final, which was stacked. They had the eventual gold and bronze winners in it, and they, unfortunately, didn’t progress to the gold medal race but rather the B final, where I watched them come in third.
They really want you to know that they did their best. They fought until the end, maxed out their heart rates, and were beaten by people who were better on the day.
John said, “Sometimes there’s a magical place, and we managed to find some magical racing early season. Just as always, we came out trying really hard, but the boat is just not speaking to us. Really sorry. But that’s sports, and yeah, we can only try. As I say, we raced as far as we could.”
I fought the urge to ask what he was hoping the boat would say to him, and I am not sure I made the right call.
Chris added, “We left it all out there. It definitely wasn’t any lack of commitment, lack of trying, or anything like that. You can only go up from here. It’s a big learning curve for myself. First games, I wouldn’t want to be in a boat with anyone else but John.”
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Balancing Competition, Life, and Legacy
They seem to get along really well, and they are both looking forward to spending some time with family and rest. In John’s case, he left a five-day-old to be ready for and compete at the games, so for him, less rest as he looks forward to being there and changing nappies.
Chris also noted that you just don’t know how hard competitions like this are. You don’t get to the Olympics without competing well in other races, but this is its own beast. He was warned, but there is nothing quite like living it.
It’s great that John, who has an Olympic gold from London in the Coxless Fours, was here. He was coaxed out of retirement to join Chris in the pairs, and they made it all the way to the B final. Not where they want to be, but at least there is a level of continuity. Next time around, Chris can be the one warning others of what it is like to be at the Games.
This pair is the best version of youth and experience. Because as much as it may sometimes appear, medals don’t just happen. As they really, really want us to know, rowing is hard. It’s six minutes in a boat but a lifetime of pushing and fighting and just trying to get better.
The Essence of the Olympics and Looking Ahead
Days at the Games can blur together. Every sport is strange in its own way, and every Olympian and their team is special. Sometimes the Olympics makes things look too easy, I think, with its combo of power and grace, but alas, I think that’s why we love sport. These athletes are the best in the world and they make it look easy and attainable. It’s not. It’s hard work and form and fitness are no joke. Rowing is all of that in one graceful splash.
Catch Paige Badenhorst as she competes tomorrow, 3 August, in the women’s single sculls final C. Finals start at 10:18 and this is the last event for Team SA in the rowing.
Zareena Gaibee will be on the ground in Paris for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics events, sharing her take on the prestigious sporting event, giving exclusive insights into life at the games, and hopefully meeting many of the South Africans in Paris who are competing and supporting. She will be reporting her findings for Good Things Guy, giving readers a glimpse of what flying the flag in Paris is all about.
You can follow her series via Good Things Guy here.
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Sources: Zareena Gaibee
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