Rowing: Waddell rules again

By CHRIS RATTUE

If you think tearing away from the best outdoor rowers in the world is hard enough work, try this for size.

Double world single sculls champion Rob Waddell has won his third consecutive indoor title in Boston, and says it is even tougher work than rowing on the water.

The 24-year-old Waddell, who was named sportsperson of the year at a function in Auckland on Friday night, made a snowstorm-interrupted dash to Boston to defend his title against 1500 rowers on indoor machines.

Waddell did not break his world record time but still won the final by a massive six seconds over Cyrus Beazley, a member of the world champion American squad who are favourites for the eights gold medal at the Olympics.

Waddell's major rival is normally German Mathias Seikjowsky, who did not attend this time.

But while Waddell - New Zealand's top Olympic gold medal hope - says the indoor event is just a sideline, it is still gut-busting stuff.

"I feel an absolute mess," he said from Boston. "People talk about the Tour de France taking a couple of days off your life and I wouldn't be surprised if this takes a couple off mine with all the stress involved.

"You go to the absolute limit. In outdoor rowing, you always have to keep your technique which stops you going right to the edge.

"But on the indoor machine you just hammer it. I've got a pounding headache, I feel nauseous and my throat hurts. I'll be ill for half a day."

Even tougher for the finalists, they had rowed a heat in the morning.

There are 300 machines at the athletics centre for the heats, but the final comes down to the best 10, who watch each other's progress times on a giant screen.

Waddell completed the 2000m in 5m 40.2s, outside his world record of 5m 38.3s. Fellow national rower Georgina Evers-Swindell finished second in the women's event behind a world record time.

Waddell and Evers-Swindell did not have an easy route to the championships. Their plane into Boston was diverted to Washington and they faced two other delayed flights and an hour-long drive to an alternative airport before taking part in the Boston event.

Waddell heads back to New Zealand today for the national championships at Lake Karapiro next week, where he will compete in six out of seven events for his Waikato club.

Waddell wants to move into the eight after this year's Olympics in Sydney.