Fri, Jul 9, 2021 10:00 AM

Leading rower prepares for Games lift-off

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Peter Jones

As D-Day [departure day] nears for the New Zealand rowing team bound for the Tokyo Olympics, Marlborough oarsman Tom Murray feels the men’s eight are “right on track” to perform strongly at the global showpiece.

On Saturday morning, around 1am, Tom and the Kiwi rowers fly out to Japan and their date with destiny at the XXXII Olympiad.

With the Kiwi team’s preparation limited to in-house racing, apart from two races at the “Last Chance Regatta” in Europe earlier this year, it is hard to get a line on their current form, especially compared to their main rivals.

But, based on prognostics, the Kiwi eight are travelling well, says Tom.

“We are right on track. We had a big hit-out on Saturday. It was a session that suited us and it got everyone’s confidence up … which is cool, good fun.

“We don’t take our foot off the pedal for another couple of weeks … we are still just trying to hammer ourselves down so we have got some room to freshen up.

“It doesn’t feel like we are nailing everything, but I guess at this point we don’t want to be doing everything right just yet.”

There has been a minor seating change in the eight with Tom, usually a bowman, moving to the three seat.

“It is a new seat for me,” explains Tom, who crewed the NZ pair at the Rio Olympics, “but it didn’t take long to get used to.

“I have spent most of my life in bow seat in whichever boat I was in, so this is quite exciting. I like three seat, I can just put my head down and go to work which is quite liberating when you are in a situation with a lot going on.”

Arriving in Japan two weeks before they race gives the NZ rowers an opportunity to come to grips with the summer conditions and make last-minute adjustments. On arrival the Kiwis will base themselves at Lake Biwa, south of Tokyo.

“You are not allowed to enter the village until four or five days before you start racing so we have a training base set up … we will head directly there and be on the water straight away. We will be there for around 10 days,” said Tom.

“We have been doing some heat acclimatisation over the last three weeks. We heat up the gym … crank it up to mid-30 degrees and upwards of 80 percent humidity, just trying to prepare for the heat and particularly the humidity which will be a big factor in Japan.

“That is why it will be good to spend a few days in Biwa to get used to the conditions away from prying eyes, we’ll just be by ourselves there.”

Rowing is one of the earlier events on the Olympic schedule, with the men’s and women’s eights scheduled to begin their campaign with heats on Sunday, July 25. The finals are on Friday, July 30.

One aspect of the Olympic build-up has been repeated COVID testing, with Tom losing track of the number of tests he has undergone in recent weeks.

“We had one yesterday and we’ve got another one later today,” he said earlier this week.

“Actually I’ve lost count, upwards of a dozen I guess. Luckily they are not all nasal swabs.”

There are bound to be many more tests, both mentally and physically, for the Kiwi contingent to contend with as they navigate their way through what will be the most unusual Olympic Games in history.

However, a return to their homeland with a piece of precious metal hanging around their neck would make it all well worthwhile.

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