Rowing

Still at training camp in Italy, Tess Gerrand hasn’t worn her Australian Green and Gold jersey on the water yet. Like the rest of her teammates, she’s kept her head down, staying focused on the grueling routine in the weeks leading up to the Olympics and spending quiet time with the eight other women in her boat.

It’s a wonder that just two months ago, the Women’s Eight Boat for the Australian Rowing Team wasn’t sure whether they’d be in the Olympics or not. Just six months ago, Tess had resigned to letting London go and began focusing on Rio 2016.

According to Rowing Australia, Australia’s governing body of rowing, the Women’s Eight performance in Beijing, a record sixth place, just wasn’t good enough to sponsor them for more international races (though apparently the same sixth place was enough for the Men’s Eight).

But following this decision rose a fervent and unexpected network of previous female Olympic and National rowers, who protested to Rowing Australia.

“The network that kind of emerged out of the woodwork was incredible—it was across all the different states, and while things weren’t necessarily coordinated, it was still going on everywhere,” Tess explains.

Soon enough, Rowing Australia gave the girls an opportunity to hit a benchmark set standard. Three pairs, or six out of the eight that would eventually fill the Olympic boat, did. But Rowing Australia required another test until all eight hit the marks that were set.

Finally, they were allowed to be sent to the Olympic Qualification regatta—which they won. Tess says, “Suddenly, from nowhere, we were going to the Olympics.”

Just days before she heads off to the Olympic Village in London, I ask Tess how she was feeling. She pauses, then she says in the same calm voice that began our conversation, “We’re definitely excited, but I think we’ve just gone through the last month with our heads underground, training really hard. This week, we started tapering a little, and we’re all feeling fresher. There’s a few more smiles now than last month.”

Tess’ events are the first week of the Games, from July 29 to August 2. Having stayed in Italy in the lead-up to the Olympics, Tess has stayed shielded from the distractions surrounding the Village.

“We’re still training in regular training gear,” she says, “and we’re still in the regular slog of things. We’ve been through a tough couple months of training. In Italy, we’re in our little bubble, but there’ll be a bit more nerves and distractions once we move into the Village.” Then she adds, “I think everyone’s in a good place, though.”

It’s a special thing that the Australian Women’s Eight have the chemistry that they do: While most National-level boats train for years together, these women have only spent a few months on the same boat. “Half of us are younger athletes and newcomers,” Tess adds. “But we have a really good mix of experience, determination and raw power that meant that we started going fast, really quickly. That’s what got us qualified.”

As a child, Tess watched her mom row in regattas. She was surrounded by rowers as she spent weekends at the boat park and was soon asked to be a coxswain (the non-rower in the boat who’s in charge of navigation) by a club member.

But as she described, laughing, she soon “got too big to be one,” so she jumped in the rowing seat of the boat. At 15, she went to her first National Championships. Then at 18, she was faced with a difficult decision: to leave the Australian rowing scene or to attend University in America. Tess describes:

Before I even decided to go to Yale, I knew I would be coming away from the Australian rowing system, and it would be a sacrifice because I would be putting myself in a back foot for my Olympic dreams. Australia didn’t take too kindly to athletes leaving the country. It was a tough decision. I wanted to get a good degree, but I wanted to go row for Australia. So instead, I did the cocky thing and thought I would be able to handle it all.

She laughs and then continues.

Luckily, it worked out. Yale was just a phenomenal experience. It challenged me in every aspect of my life. It was hard. Freshman year, I kept thinking, "Oh, dear, I definitely, don’t deserve to be here." Then you manage. You manage to do your training, and studying, and sometimes, you go out on a Saturday night, and you think…wow. But you don’t manage to sleep too much.

Ironically, another Yale rower the same year as Tess, American Taylor Ritzel, will be representing the United States’ Women’s Eight Boat in London. When I asked Tess what it was like to be competing against a former teammate, she says,

Well, we’re really good friends, and we stay in touch. I’m excited to see her again. It’s going to be different racing each other at that kind of level, but I’m excited to do it. There’s no anxiety—we’re not going to pull any less hard because we’re rowing against a friend. In the end, we’re doing it for fun, so no one’s life depends on who wins or who loses.”

She pauses and then continues, “But I’d still like to beat her if I can. You see, the Australian boat is still a bit of an underdog, and I like it that way. The Americans are the favorites right now.”

When I ask her when she decided that the Olympics were her dream, Tess responds,

I can’t remember exactly when I decided this, but I feel like once I started rowing, the desire was always there. I never thought of doing anything else. For me, the Olympics are the pinnacle of the sporting world. Some Americans would disagree. I’ve had so many arguments with the male football players in the training room at Yale who would argue that the NFL is the top level of sport.

We both laugh.

With a degree in economics from Yale and having spent some time working at the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority, Tess found herself working different jobs than her academic training prepared for her after graduation. She’s been doing odd jobs to pay the bills for time on the water, since following another full-time career path wouldn’t allow her enough flexibility.

But all this changed once she was selected to the National Team, and while she doesn’t seem to be making the salary she could make working a different job, she’s happy that Rowing Australia can pay for her basic living and travel allowances.

Soon, it occurred to me that for Tess, the difficulty of the next few years is not the pain of training close to 345 days a year or living on a basic stipend for a nonprofessional sport. For her, and for many female Olympians, the challenge is organizing her life—including her decision to have and raise a family—around four-year Olympic cycles. She says earnestly,

There’s a bigger clock ticking for female athletes’ life plans. In 2016, I’ll be 28. By that point, I’ll want to have a career, but then when will I have children? For men, you have the balance between the Olympic four-year cycle, your age, and your career. But for women, you have the four-year cycle, your age, your job, and children. Every non-athlete thinks about career and family, but suddenly, another limiting factor are these four year increments that are, well, arbitrary to the rest of your life.”

“But maybe I should get through the next couple of weeks before I spend too much time thinking about all this,” she adds.

Throughout the rest of our conversation about careers and motherhood, I can hear the voices of Australia’s rowers in the background of the hallway in the training center.  Tess’s calm demeanor never wavers. Once in a while, I hear the whistling or humming of someone walking by. If I didn’t know better, it would be hard to tell that these athletes were training for one of the biggest moments of their lives—a moment that could change the rest of their careers and set precedent to Australia’s role in the rowing world.

But in Italy, as Tess says, they were still shielded from the Olympic nerves, miles away from the Village, watching the clock tick.

Well, Tess, I hope to see you out on the water for the competition. Best of luck and enjoy every single second of London.

Tess and the Australian Women's Eight Boat competed July 29-August 2.

This article was originally published on The Daily Muse. For more in the "Road to the Olympics" series, check out:

Road to the Olympics: Squash Pro Miranda Ranieri

Road to the Olympics: Cyclist Mel Spath

Road to the Olympics: Marathoner Molly Pritz

Senior Jessica Allaway is the only rower to take part in Alabama’s two consecutive gold medalist performances at the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships.

Allaway has helped her team compete against top-notch rowing programs and win in fury for the past two years. And despite the harsh weather conditions, she did it again at this year’s SIRA Championships.

The senior rower helped the Crimson Tide generate a three-peat in Oak Ridge, TN., at the 2011 SIRA Championships. Although the Tide is a known-medalist at championship regatta, the team has never won three gold medals at the event.

“To sweep all the Varsity Open races is a really big step forward for our program,” head coach Larry Davis said. “In general, there aren't too many programs that have done that, so we were pretty happy with that.”

The three-peat Tide championed the Varsity 4+, First Varsity 8+, and Second Varsity 8+ on Apr. 17.

After last year’s gold medalist performance, the Varsity 4+ took first place again.

The boat was almost a boat’s length behind Tulsa, a team that beat the Tide’s Varsity 4+ at the San Diego Crew Classic in the beginning days of April; however, the rowers pulled through to first to lock in a victory with a time of 7:36.10.

“Winning in general is great, but winning from behind just goes to show that you can have power and speed, but you also have to have heart,” said Allaway. “Heart can win out sometimes. The Varsity 4+ pushed through more and more and finished with a big win.”

Posting a time of 6:47.00, the Tide’s First Varsity 8+ beat Tulsa, Kansas State, SMU, and Purdue.

“Our Varsity 8+ boat was right in the midst of things or just slightly ahead the whole race and was able to finish it off well,” Davis said. “In the last 100 to 150 meters they put on a really big surge and opened up about a half-length lead.”

Flying through the finish in first by more the 15 seconds, the Tide’s Second Varsity 8+ defeated second place Kansas State.

“In the Second Varsity 8, our ladies took control early in the race and opened up as they went,” Davis said. “We expected them to be able to do that, and they really executed well.”

On Friday, inclement weather surfaced around the entire southeastern part of the country. Despite tornados and hail, the SIRA Championships continued on. Usually, the Tide feels out the course with a practice the day before, but the weather would not permit.

“Except when it’s lightning, we have been practicing with the bad weather,” said Allaway. “When we practice on choppy water, it prepares us for any adverse conditions that can happen at a regatta like this weekend. We practiced in Tuscaloosa before the tornado came on Friday since we wouldn’t be able to practice in Tennessee as the bad weather was moving that way.”

Aside from the race itself, the Tide passed along an honor all its own. The Tide’s necklace tradition continued on with the passing of the chain to senior Daniella Barone for her tremendous spirit and her dedication to the team.

The Tide will finish up its spring season at Clemson on Apr. 30 before heading to the Conference USA Championships in May.

One reason why athletes are often admired by the masses is that they often push themselves to the limits to do amazing things—whether it's scoring 38 points with the flu in Game Five of the NBA Finals, winning the U.S. Open with an ACL-stricken left knee, or rowing across the Atlantic Ocean solo style.

Is it truly mind over matter? Sanity over insanity? Or just the fact that once an individual gets past the rationalization factor of "playing it safe," one is capable of doing what's deemed impossible?

Katie Spotz, a sensational 22-year-old adventurer and athlete from Mentor, OH, knows a thing or two about accomplishing many athletic achievements in style. She doesn't just merely settle for what's reachable for most people—she tests the human strength to the absolute maximum!

Like any other athlete, she trains hard—physically and mentally, getting herself in tip-top shape for her next endeavor. After all, it's not a simple decision to pursue a challenging goal such as a 70-day rowing journey across the second-largest ocean in the world.

Witness: Spotz swam the entire length of the 325-mile long Allegheny River, located between New York state and Pennsylvania. That's just for starters.

Spotz also participated in the Big Ride Across America, the Oxfam Trail Run in Australia, and a Half Ironman Triathalon. Simply put: She's the epitome of a genuine, all-around athlete who accomplishes the incredible!

Just a few weeks ago, Spotz completed what may have been her greatest individual accolade when she completed her row across the Atlantic Ocean—a two-month journey. Her rowing expedition was in the name of advocating safe drinking water projects worldwide.

Imagine being around water for so long—alone, with limited options for food, drink, and room for sanity. At any moment, dangers lurked—such as choppy waves, as well as inclement weather—which could easily intimidate even the best athlete.

In other words, this wasn't your cruise ship experience or recreational sail around Martha's Vineyard.

Perhaps what struck me most when I followed Spotz' progress across the ocean was how she handled each day without human interaction. Sure, there were ways to track her through Twitter, but the fact that she didn't talk to anyone verbally had to be quite strange and a bit of a lonely feeling. Try to imagine having only yourself and sea creatures that accompany you on an adventure like Spotz' from January through mid-March.

Earlier this week, I interviewed the pride of Ohio, who has been catching up with her family and friends back in her hometown—as well as getting used to the fact that she's back on land after two months. For someone who only saw water all around her for that duration of time, Spotz possessed the kind of smarts, wittiness, and kindness of any athlete I've come across in my work.

To say the very least, it's not an assumption to note that reading her accomplishments are inspiring. Maybe she'll be an impetus to us trying a little harder when we're out there in our arena.

Whatever it may be, it's quite certain that this will not be the last time we'll hear from Spotz, who might just plan to outdo her latest accomplishment with the most daring and daunting goal in mind. As the "Big Apple" is often billed as "the city that never sleeps," Spotz is the athlete who likes to keep at it, ready for the next big sporting challenge!

So catch your breath, sit for a while, and read on about Katie Spotz, the athlete who truly knows that bigger is indeed better!

Rob Tiongson : You're certainly an adventure seeker with two tremendous accolades along with your various athletic accomplishments. What drives you to do what many would consider impossible?

Katie Spotz : I am constantly looking for new ways to challenge myself. My passion for endurance started by completing my first marathon at age 18. Before taking on this challenge, I was not particularly athletic, so immediately after completing the marathon, I was curious to see how far I could go.

This curiosity fueled a 150-mile run across the Mojave and Colorado desert, 325-mile swim of the Allegheny River, 3,300-mile bike ride across the country, and now, my latest (but certainly not my final) challenge, a solo row across the Atlantic Ocean.

Beyond my curiosity, I see each challenge as an opportunity to raise funds and awareness for charity. My row was a 'Row for Water' with the goal of helping thousands of people gain access to safe drinking water for life.

RT : Not many 22-year-olds would even dare to swim the entire length of a river, which you did two years ago when you went the entire distance of the Allegheny River—that's incredible enough.

This year, perhaps, tops your amazing athletic achievements with you rowing the entire Atlantic alone. How'd you do it mentally and physically? It had to be quite a strain and taxing ordeal for two months.

KS : Before setting off on the 3,000-mile row, I trained about an hour a day, working to increase endurance with a mixture of high-intensity cardio workouts, weight lifting focused on strengthening the core and back, and weekly long rows on the erg machine.

An essential part of training included trial rows on Lake Erie. But endurance is much more of a mental challenge than physical.

A year before the row, I worked with a sports psychologist who helped me break down the challenge into manageable steps or phases. I have also participated in extensive meditation retreats—the last one in which I meditated 12 hours a day for 10 days straight, without any sort of human interaction similar to the isolation at sea.

RT : Your journey made the news internationally, with the press recognizing your incredible experiences from start to finish. Did it ever cross your mind that you'd be an inspiration to many out there who may feel that they can overcome adversities and obstacles in life?

KS : Before taking on this challenge I didn't realize how people would respond but one of the most rewarding parts is when it inspires action in others. I was the worst on my college crew team, and I firmly believe we are all capable of achieving much more than we may think.

RT : Certainly, while the events you've competed are of an extreme degree, they require some of the same discipline and mindset that popular sports like baseball and football require, in terms of endurance and agility. Do you have a particular regimen or routine that you do to be in such pristine shape?

KS : Surprisingly, most of the challenges I have completed do not require the amount of training many expect. You really only need a basic level of fitness and a huge amount of determination. I've spent much more time sorting out the logistics, the gear, and the boat than the physical preparation.

RT : Growing up in Mentor, Ohio, what did you want to do before realizing, perhaps, your calling as an adventurer? Ohio's a long way from Melborne, Australia, when you participated in the Oxfam Trail Run, and certainly, from Senegal to Georgetown, Guyana.

KS : In 2008, I graduated with a Business and Economics degree from Warren Wilson College. For the past few years, I have worked for several nonprofit organizations and my last position was for a local charity in Cleveland. I have some ideas for my next big challenge but at the moment I'm going where the wind takes me.

RT : Having some time back on land and with family and friends, I'm sure you've had some time to think it over and catch your breath on your experiences. What are some of the high points, and low points of your rowing across the Atlantic? Were there times that you had to remind yourself, "Katie, it's truly mind over matter...just do it?"

KS : There were moments I would have given anything to be back on land and others where I felt there was no other place to be but the sea. The high moments were filled with abundant wildlife, endless sky, and the simplicity of life on a rowboat. Fires on-board, close encounters with passing freighters, and near capsizes on twenty-foot waves were an exciting treat.

The lowest points were fueled by sleep deprivation. An ocean rowboat is good for rowing but not necessarily sleeping. I struggled to sleep the entire way across as if rowing 10 hours a day wasn't difficult enough. I never lost sight of my overall goal but there were countless times that I wasn't sure where I would find the strength to continue on.

RT : If for race car drivers the thrills of being in motorsports are the speed and trips to victory lane, for you, as a truly remarkable athlete, what are your moments of euphoria?

KS : As soon as I had my feet firmly planted on dry land again, I was glowing. The first day back on land...it was like I was seeing and experiencing everything for the first time. To hear different sounds after two and half months alone at sea was a wonder.

RT : When there's free time and you're back home near family and friends, what do you enjoy doing? Any particular hobby or recreation that you enjoy?

KS : The things I missed most at sea were good food and good people. I'm not so concerned with what I'm doing but who I'm with and so I spend my free time with good friends and family. Yoga is fun, too.

RT : While it may be apples and oranges with regards to your career highlights as an athlete, personally, what would be your most memorable one so far? Would it have to be rowing the Atlantic or cycling from Seattle to Washington, D.C.?

KS : Rowing the Atlantic was the most exciting and rewarding. The stakes were as high as they could be without a support boat. I was alone in the middle of an ocean for months. In many ways, I was one moment away from disaster. On the other side, I had an intimate connection to my surroundings and experiences few have ever had. 

RT : Free Association time for you, Katie! I've tested the best in auto racing, and now one of the world's most amazing athletes will be on the hot seat! You game? Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind with the following:

Fatigue.

KS : It will pass.

RT : Marathon.

KS : For breakfast.

RT : Family.

KS : No worries.

RT : Limits.

KS : In the mind.

RT : Challenge.

KS : Yes, please.

RT : Traveling.

KS : Which way?

RT : Favorite music.

KS : Imogen Heap.

RT : If I could meet someone, dead or alive, it'd be...

KS : You!

RT : Life. 

KS : Is a journey.

RT : Thrills.

KS : Big waves.

RT : Do you ever see yourself slowing down in the long haul or do you plan to keep on seeking more adventures? It seems like there's lots to be realized in our small world.

KS : I'll sleep when I'm dead (but I'm quite looking forward to it). All jokes aside, I love challenges and am already excited for the next one. Stay tuned!

For more information about Katie Spotz or if you want to follow her next journey, wherever it'll be, check out her Twitter by visiting http://twitter.com/KatieSpotz , as well as her official website at http://rowforwater.com !

Prompted by the recent Indian summers enjoyed by the likes of Shaquille O'Neal and Kurt Warner, Bleacher contributors were asked to reflect on individuals who had produced exceptional performances in spite of their advanced years.

Not one to pass up a challenge, I quickly realized that the task at hand required me to look beyond my comfort zone of the English Premier League. 

Of course, there are many older players, both past and present, worthy of consideration (my first contribution to these very pages focused on the omnipotent Ryan Giggs), but I could not quite put my finger on that one individual who, unencumbered by the onset of the dreaded mid-30s (or beyond), had truly captured my imagination.

An obvious candidate, perhaps, is David Beckham.  Certainly, his recent renaissance—both at club and international level—is worthy of praise. 

However, at 33 years old, Beckham is not quite at an age to capture the spirit in which this assignment was given.  Real though it is, Beckham’s Indian summer should be viewed through the lens of his premature departure from the rigor of elite European football, rather than his advancing years.

Instead, I have chosen to recall the exploits of an athlete who truly does fit the bill, and then some.

Ask any Brit to name the greatest modern day athletes and few will fail to mention Sir Steve Redgrave.

For those of you unfamiliar with the name (and I would hope that you are few and far between), Redgrave was a British rower who became one of the greatest Olympians of the Games’ long and illustrious history. 

Redgrave’s crowning achievement came in Sydney in 2000, where, at the age of 38, he won his fifth Olympic Gold.

While Sir Steve’s total career haul of five gold medals is far from unprecedented (indeed, one Michael Phelps would have been bitterly disappointed with such a return in 2008 alone!), what elevates Redgrave’s achievement to the very highest echelons of the competition is that his five were attained in five consecutive Games.

Redgrave remains the only athlete ever to have achieved this remarkable feat.

As achievements go, gold medals in Los Angeles, Seoul, Barcelona, and Atlanta were highly commendable without necessarily being remarkable.  Taking into account his age alone (Redgrave turned 38 in March 2000), Gold at Sydney was an achievement of a different order. 

Add to that the fact that Redgrave was diagnosed with diabetes in 1997 and you begin to realize the full mark of the man.

It is also important to put Redgrave’s achievement into a national context. Historically, Great Britain does not perform strongly at the Olympics, in terms of medals.  Indeed, Team GB’s performance in Beijing was unprecedented in the post-war era. 

For example, Redgrave boasts as many as or even more gold medals than the entire British team managed to accrue in each of the ’84, ’88, ’92, and ’96 Olympics.

Redgrave’s historic achievement on Penrith Lake (Sydney) also needs to be placed in the more immediate context of an exceptionally talented crew.  In Matthew Pinsent, James Cracknell, and Tim Foster, Redgrave had the rowing equivalent of anti-aging cream.  This final gold was Redgrave’s third as part of a coxless four.

Redgrave’s place in Olympic history is secure.  Such is the scale of his achievement —Olympic Gold in five consecutive games—that many will not live to see this success equaled, let alone surpassed.

What a magnificent seventeen days of Olympic competition. A celebration of all sports undefined and for Britain, an unexpected triumph against the odds. Nineteen gold medals came our way, kicked off by Welsh superstar cyclist Nicole Cooke and supported by dominations seen by Rebecca Adlington in the pool and Britain’s collective cycling and rowing teams.

The Olympics certainly was a triumph for sports where exposure is regularly limited to the extreme. We all love a bit of football, tennis, F1 and Rugby, but what the Olympics gave us was an insight into the enticing worlds of other sports that rarely have a representation on the world arena.

Odd then that football and tennis within the Olympics were two sports whose feature within the games was next to ignored when compared with events on the athletics track, in the velodrome, in the pool or in the open water. No-one really cared much about who won tennis gold – essentially it was a case of, many world class players don’t see an Olympic title as an incredible accolade within their sport so why should we? Given the choice I would most certainly banish both sports from future Olympics as compared to world cups or national opens they pale in comparison.

Instead the Olympics as has been shown over the past two and a half weeks should be a celebration of all sports unseen or unheard of. Everyone, bar those who can’t, loves a good swim every now and then. The fact that swimmers in the peak of their training have to scoff down some 5,000 plus calories per day just so they don’t become anorexic with lack of body weight tells you that the sport is one of the most physically demanding yet rewarding around. It is a pastime many partake in on a regular basis as a means of staying fit and healthy yet on a sport scale it takes its spotlight just one every four years.

Michael Phelps and Rebecca Adlington proved to be the stars within the pool and will definitely go some way to creating a positive and credible image for the sport. Maybe now with their triumphs a barrage of new fans will take notice of the sport itself and follow the previously mentioned athletes on a more regular basis. If not then 2012 London Olympics will most certainly put it back under a tremendous spotlight.

The same goes for cycling. Another sport of which many partake in, but most don’t really think of as having the potential to be classified as a sport. Chris Hoy, built more like a rugby player than a cyclist dominated events in the velodrome, and by doing so lead Team GB’s confident and stylish display of control over the medals proceedings.

Then there are the sports further down the level of follower’s spectrum. Rowing often a neglected sport produced a vast array of closely thought and thoroughly entertaining battles. Taekwondo produced a vast amount of competitive action accompanied with absolutely shocking decisions and reactions from both judges and competitors.

The gymnastics and diving showed the world the beauty of an artistic sport where individual and team creativity amounts to a high percentage of points, whilst also giving the spectator a memorable and unforgettable array of images destined to be forged into memory for many years to come.

So yes, the Beijing Olympics was, as it should be a determined and dogged display of all sports unseen or unheard. The world took notice of the bizarre, the competitive and the absolutely riveting spectacle of events undervalued. And the best thing of it all, these sports, all be it possibly only for a mere week or two, were valued with the highest amount of recognition available to the sporting world at any one time by the competitors respective countries.

So for the first roundup of the new season I will look at England, Spain and Italy...

It has been a busy summer, I hope that all you Bleacher souls are refreshed and good to go...

So a lot has gone down since the last roundup, there have been managerial shakes and twists plus the usual pre-season transfer dealings... the ones that did happen and to some more importantly there are the transfers that didn't happen...

From Kaka to Lampard, Robinho, Ronaldo to Barry but the market is only really starting now and big moves are yet to come... there should be no doubting this is a market of reluctant sellers and a market full of players already making big bucks elsewhere, very much a protracted affair.

SPAIN

Whooooooo!!!!

What a summer and what a party, I have never been in and out of so many fountains in my life. A great celebration in Madrid was had having seen Spain winning Euro 2008 by playing some of the best football at international level not seen for many years... a marker has been set for all to follow.

Vamos to Spain and also Rafa Nadal... Spain kicked it up a gear this summer.

So club football, it has been a turbulent time in Spain since I signed off on the round-ups last season.

Barcelona

This summer has seen Laporta appear in front of the firing squad only to survive by the skin of his teeth, winning by four per cent, after facing a vote of no confidence. No matter, the heat has died somewhat, after the signings brought in and seeing the doubts over Pep Guardiola settle at least for now after a successful pre-season, Laporta is for now at least holding on.

As is the nature of the beast in Spain, be it for Real Madrid or Barcelona each club will take momentum from the others problems, and Laporta's current situation has been tipped in his favour (though he is four or five bad results from the dog house) by the fact Madrid importantly could not sign Ronaldo.

Real Madrid

In Madrid, President Calderon has been weakened by events this summer, the full extent to which will not become clear until we are further into the season. The man has all sorts of trouble, not least with what comes out of his mouth, it seems to be his attempt at competing with Blatter for nonsensical quotes of the year.

Importantly for Calderon his trouble lies in the hard truth of perception, that he is not a real credible president, Calderon came to power with a small majority of only 8,000 when 80,000 had voted, also the fact postal votes were thrown out and if they had been included he would not have won.

So for Calderon he has been on a constant campaign for legitimacy, and this has not yet bore desired fruit, despite winning two successive league titles. The things that he promises have not come off, he ran for office on the promise of bringing Kaka, Robben and Cesc to Madrid... Robben came but a year to late and on arrival spent that time injured, he has now failed to sign Ronaldo.

Calderon needs a big player signing and what is making his situation all the more difficult, they now cannot afford to lose Brazilian Robinho for the very reason they have not gotten Ronaldo. Madrid are getting played at their own game and their argument heard all summer that you cannot force a player to stay at a club if he is not happy, a la Ronaldo, has come back to bite them somewhat.

If Robinho does depart then Madrid must buy a big player to score goals. However there is not that type of player readily available. Someone who might be, David Villa, is complicated, in that Valencia will rip their own eyes out before they have to sell to Madrid, for example just what happend to midfielder Mendieta, who was forced to move to Lazio, even though he wanted Madrid.

Not only that there is a real fear in Madrid that if Villa came, it would cause huge problems for Raul, which in turn would cause problems in the dressing room.

Out with the big two...

Villareal will be an exciting prospect having bought well once more, maybe the Champions League and La Liga might be a stretch, however they could be a decent outside bet.

Atletcio Madrid have a first eleven that is world class but have no great bench. Valencia, will not be able to buy and will not challenge the whole season, Sevilla have lost three of their best players but have bought well and looked good pre-season so we will wait and see.

My feeling as we head into the new season in Spain is that it could be one of those years where one of the big two might not win La Liga. I do have a sense Madrid will not be as strong as last year and Barcelona will get their act together, my money is on Barcelona, although I would not be over reaching to think a challenger will come through, and with some intensity.

ITALY

Chievo are back as are Bologna and Lecce.

There should be another interesting mix at the top, the big four could be broken once again with Fiorentina getting in the pack last year.

AC Milan have bought without having had to spend big, Flamini an excellent signing (and young for Milan), Zambrotta must prove his legs are not gone and Ronaldinho has everything to prove... any doubters you better go hide now the man is a coming back.

Kaka situation... is there one? People in Milan have told me he does not particularly want to leave, he has just become a father and has a great love for the city in addition to the fact he wants to be the heir to Maldini in terms of being the Milanesta captain for life.

However he did say, if it suited Milan, i.e 78 million into their bank account he might think again but I highly doubt this.

At Inter Milan, there is a new man in charge, to the despair and delight off all... Mourinho has arrived, he didn't get Lampard but got Muntari and Mancini. This club needed to sell most importantly and have failed to do so, but they have time.

Juventus are still recharging the batteries but this giant is coming back to strength and it will be exciting to have this great team once more in the Champions League.

With Napoli (back in Europe) my fingers are crossed we have Roma, Inter, Juventus, Fiorentina and AC Milan. Serie A is on its way back, although still in recovery mode, it is getting its act together.

ENGLAND

So it has been a busy summer for Bleacher Reports' favourite league...

For me I have glimmerings of a disaffection with the mighty EPL, with the financially-imposed inevitability of who wins and who loses—the antithesis of competitive sport I add.

The most interesting match on day one for me was the relegation six-pointer between Hull City and Fulham; looking in from outside, that is the only game that really piqued the interest.

Teams of note...

Tottenham

Are they in free fall or are they building? Can they breach the top four or get close, I don't really care as that would have to happen and then happen again the following year for me to give it due attention. Love the players they have signed just wish they weren't at Tottenham... from Gio to Luka there is now some grace in those Spurs.

Liverpool

What a difference a year makes, 18 Million for Barry? This time last year that figure would have not seen the light of day. No matter was he really the man to solve this teams problems? (For me the problem lies on the right hand side and also in Benitez's facial hair).

18 million on the flanks would give this team much more cutting edge, the money men seem to be questioning the managers judgement over Barry and I am to. Do the money men know something about the game after all?

Arsenal

The experienced core is all but gone. The defence is my main concern, Toure was poor the season past and Gallas worse, both essentially are the first choice as I do not see Sendoros and Djourou challenging the status-quo. For me Wenger is essentially betting on them being far better this year than last.

No replacement for Flamini and I feel this must be the signing to make.

I hope they do well this year and stay clear of injuries, on their day they can beat any team and finishing only four points behind (knowing they were not going to win helped) after that savage injury period I wish them better this year, the EPL needs this team at full strength.

Also of note, early season fixtures have been ever so kind to Arsenal and I think an early lead could be on the books, all the while they get people fit and bring in a new player or two.

Chelsea

New man at the helm. The one and only Frank Lampard re-signed, his new manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari said that Frankie was “a symbol of Chelsea.” Yes, that would be about right, Phil. The odd thing is though, I think Scolari meant it in a good way.

Going further you might argue that Lampard is a symbol of the Premier League itself, its extraordinary, almost surreal, self-regard... its vanities and its hubris. Its limitless greed, its assumption that we are all in thrall to its brilliance.

Chelsea, they ought to with no sense of shock lift the title. But where is the centre forward buy? That is where for me is where they need money spent?

Drogba no doubt one of the best in the land in his position, but he didn't score many goals last term and with age that knee is not getting better. Anelka? Well it is safe to say if one of these two came to life it would make a huge difference but the jury is out.

EPL Transfers of the Summer

Fulham—Zoltan Gera, who has gone for nothing delivers a fantastic ball which many teams lack.

Wigan—Amir Zaki, for next to nothing he has what it takes but time will tell.

Arsenal—Nasri, can see a pass and carries the ball excellently.

Surprise Team of 08/09

Man City and in no good way.

Interesting team for 08/09

Middlesborough young looking adventurous team with great pace.

Most Important Buy To Come

The choosing of Ferguson's assistant they have gone and lost the best Portuguese member of staff lol...

Quieroz has been tremendous for Man Utd and with the added date of Ferguson's departure hanging around once more, it will be an important decision.

But you know what forget that, there have always been people meant to be so vital behind the success and so vital to Ferguson from Kidd to McClaren to Quieroz, my man from Govan has missed them for at best maybe an hour... and you know what Quieroz is the idiot who inflicted the five man Man Utd midfield (much to Keane's dismay) which has only started to bare fruit in the last year and also he was a Madrid flop lol... so I say out you go Quieroz and best of luck... the language barrier in the dressing room will be made a little harder now he has gone at least.

Then I will change my mind again he has been vital on the training ground and the fluidity to Man Utd up front, he has had a huge part to play in making it work (you never knew what they were up to at times very rarely sticking to it throughout a game attacking four or five strong from deep positions which was a nightmare to defend against, it is a complex system)... No matter Alex will be cool and survive without his Portuguese sidekick.

So the EPL, will the second tier be able to grind out the must win games to get near the top four? No way Jimmy...

Hope springs eternal in the human breast and one simply cannot, in all good conscience predict unrelieved boredom for people for the next nine months... top four same as ever, bottom three consisting of the teams that came up last year.

So we have a new season ahead, it will hopefully be full of drama and great matches, let the games begin...
____
Alby Jnr

Last night, I was watching CBC's coverage of Canadian swimmer Brent Hayden's decision to withdraw from the 200-metre freestyle semifinals. Then Ron MacLean mentioned that the final for the men's rowing eights would be broadcast in the middle of the night (3:50 a.m. Atlantic time).

At least that's what I thought he said.

Despite having to work the next morning, I decided to set my alarm clock and get up in the wee hours to watch the Canadian gold medal favourites try to win Canada's first medal of the Beijing Olympics.

3:50 a.m. came, far too quickly, and the TV was clicked on (turned down low, of course). Then, to my complete surprise, it wasn't the men's eights competing. It was the women!

Now, with all due respect to the Canadian women's rowing team, I was not exactly pleased to see this. The men's eights are considered a heavy gold medal favourite. The women's eights, not so much.

Did I mention that it was a preliminary heat and not the final?

Figuring that I was awake anyway, I decided to watch the women's heat. The Canadians finished third out of four boats and must race in the repechage on Wednesday to advance to the semis.

Despite all that, I enjoyed the race. Rowing is one of my favourite Olympic sports, and it was a pleasure to watch the four boats giving it their all, finding the mental strength to push forward (or, in their case, backward) while their bodies screamed for relief.

It's the allure of the Olympics and the thrill of international competition that hooks me every time. I find myself getting up at 7 a.m. to watch a field hockey match between South Korea and New Zealand, or a badminton match featuring a German and a Mexican.

These are sports that I would never watch under normal circumstances, especially if Canada is not involved, but somehow the Olympic banner and the prospect of best-on-best competition reels me in every time.

So, what drives me to get up in the middle of the night to watch a rowing competition? Even a hockey game would be hard-pressed to drag me out of bed at that hour.

It's the excitement of watching athletes, everyday human beings, from all over the world try to better themselves. Their ability captivates our imagination. Their drive and determination reflect what we would like to see in ourselves. And the goal of achievement is something that we can all identify with.

By Mary Beth Walker

Injured soldier Steve Daniel has made the Canadian team that is heading to the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. He is the first modern-day soldier to make Canada’s Paralympic team.

Daniel will be competing in adaptive rowing, a sport that will make its debut as an official sport on the Paralympic program this September in Bejing. He will be competing in the AM1x event.

“I've been blessed with the unique opportunity to compete in rowing in its inaugural year at the Paralympics, the significance of which I have not really been able to fully grasp,” said Daniel. “I am excited to represent my nation again, and will do my best to make Canada proud, especially the men and women in uniform who I know will be cheering the loudest from their places of duty around the globe.”

Daniel was a paratrooper with the Canadian Armed Forces for 14 years and served in four overseas missions. During instructor training for free-fall parachuting in Canada in June 2005, he landed with too much speed, and ended up paralyzed from the waist down.

Today, the retired soldier is not only training for the Paralympic Games, but also working toward a business degree.

He was introduced to several Paralympic sports, including wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball and ice sledge hockey, at the inaugural Soldier On Paralympic Sport Summit, held in May 2007 in Ottawa. The summit was a joint initiative of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Paralympic Committee.

Following his accident, Daniel was contacted by Sgt. Andrew McLean, a former colleague and a driving force behind fundraising efforts for the Soldier On program.

The Soldier On program is aimed at introducing Paralympic sport to injured soldiers and making them aware of how sport can help in their rehabilitation. One component of the program is providing grants to help with the cost of acquiring sporting equipment.

“The fact that Andrew was proactive in helping out injured soldiers was the main factor for me getting involved with the program. I was looking for a way to stay active as well, and sought out adaptive sport as a way of getting back into shape,” Daniel said.

He said the program helped him with his rehabilitation. After attending the Soldier On Paralympic Sport Summit, he began participating in sports such as wheelchair basketball and sledge hockey. This helped him in his personal journey of challenging himself to be fit and competitive again, he added.

Later in 2007, a friend invited him to try rowing.

“Adaptive rowing was a perfect fit for me,” Daniel said. “I wanted a sport that I could do without having to travel away from my family.”

An adaptive rowing program was established in Sudbury, where Daniel now lives, last summer. So shortly after attending the summit, Daniel found himself on the water

“The attractiveness of rowing is that it is an ideal sport for someone confined to a wheelchair,” said Daniel. “The rowing motion is easy on the shoulders and arms compared to wheeling a chair, as well as being a great way to attain cardiovascular fitness. The sense of freedom and speed once on the water is a great feeling.”

Daniel said he will continue to prepare for Beijing by competing in as many regattas as he can in the next couple of months. Last week, he competed at the US Nationals and placed second in the arms-only rowing category.

“Ultimately, I have to get on the water as much as possible and push myself towards the Paralympic standard,” said Daniel.

Adaptive rowing is similar to able-bodied rowing. Participants learn all the elements of rowing: drive, recovery, catch angle, oar handling, etc.  Adaptive refers to the equipment being adapted to the athlete, rather than the sport being adapted to the competitor.