Rowing: Evers-Swindells know to Keep It Simple, Sister

By DAVID LEGGAT

Four years ago, Rob Waddell nailed New Zealand's only gold medal of the Sydney Olympics in the single scull.

This time it's Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell in the same position as Waddell, favoured to win the gold medal, as defending world champions in the double scull.

So where were you when Waddell won his gold, Georgina?

A sheepish pause, then: "We were very hungover in the stands.

"It's not something I can recommend athletes do," she laughed.

The backdrop was the pair had just missed out on making the Sydney Games. But the chance came up to watch the regatta.

"Apart from watching Rob win his gold and Britain's Steve Redgrave win his fifth Olympic gold, which was pretty amazing, the rest of it wasn't that great.

"We were sitting there watching crews that had beaten us in the qualifying regatta making the top six. It was a bit frustrating."

And as for the pressure of being strong favourites for the gold next weekend, the Evers-Swindells adopt a Kiss philosophy: Keep It Simple Sister.

"They said it was going to be hard last year when we were defending our [world championship] title.

"But we keep it simple, just focus on short-term goals, don't really think about it too much."

Their longtime coach, Dick Tonks, has nothing but praise for their attitude leading up to the Olympics.

"Some people can overtrain. For a lot - especially when they've been a bit successful - they hold back a bit, worry about injury, getting ill, getting run down, getting overtired.

"They have gone very, very hard over the last three to four weeks. I'd say there wouldn't be a crew who have trained as hard as they have per stroke."

He's long been of a mind that, given a good day, all things being equal, the sisters can't be beaten.

But that is for another day. Right now, the challenge begins with the heats tomorrow and the 25-year-olds from Hamilton aren't taking anything for granted. Especially the projected absence of star German Kathrin Boron, who has moved into the quad.

Boron, half of the New Zealanders' anticipated toughest opposition, has apparently conceded the Hamilton sisters are just too good.

And the favourites' reaction?

"I was probably a bit upset," Georgina said.

Come again?

"She's been our imaginary training partner for the last three or four years. You want to race the best.

"To be perfectly honest I'm not going to believe it till I see it. We haven't stopped thinking she's right beside us in the training.

"But there's still a lot of unknowns with crews we haven't raced this year. You have to expect the unexpected."

The quest for gold starts tomorrow afternoon and, without getting ahead of the game, most likely ends early evening next Saturday.