Rowing: Hunger for success sustains glory girls

By EUGENE BINGHAM

Georgina Evers-Swindell picked and stared at the bowl in front of her, facing a monumental challenge - trying to eat before the race of her life.

The second she had woken up, the knots that had been there most of the week again tied up her stomach.

In the dining room, she was trying to convince herself that since she was about to row in an Olympic double sculls final with her twin sister, Caroline, she really should have some food.

"It was the hardest four Weet-Bix I've ever had," said Georgina. "I just didn't feel like eating, but it was good to be able to sit down in Greece and eat your Weet-Bix."

The night before Saturday's golden race, the Waikato sisters had slept badly, even though they had gone to their beds in the room they share at 9 pm.

Once during the night, Georgina woke suddenly in one of those moments of slight panic people have when they think they've slept in.

"I woke up and looked at the clock and thought it was six but it was only quarter past one in the morning."

Across the room, Caroline was having the same problem.

"Georgie and I lay in the dark both knowing the other one was awake and just going over the race in our minds, not letting negative thoughts in our heads, thinking about the race," said Caroline.

How could sleep have come easily? They were due to line up in the race which would define their future.

For years they had dreamed of gold, a dream which inspired them and forced them out the door to training even in the cold and dark while most people were still dozing.

On Friday night, that dream was the enemy of sleep.

The sisters, 25, had tried to switch themselves off from the pressure that came with being the gold-medal favourites, as well as New Zealand's greatest hopes for Athens.

Instead of living in the village, the rowing team had stayed closer to the Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre.

The rented new house, which will be the base for the canoeing team this week, is in the hills above Marathon, near the Lake Marathonas dam which supplies water to Athens.

It was a perfect retreat from the hustle and distractions of the rest of the Olympics and a place they could get everything to prepare the way they wanted.

Craig Harper, a cook the team brought from New Zealand, served up their nutrition needs - a steady supply of energy food which by Saturday night had Georgina declaring: "I'm so sick of carbohydrates and sick of Powerade - oops, I probably shouldn't say that."

Also in the house were the other rowing crews, coach Richard Tonks, and Lisa Holton, a former rower and friend of the Evers-Swindells. Holton was the house's undeclared camp mother.

For the week between their heat and the final, Georgina and Caroline slotted into a simple routine - eating, training, sleeping and, when necessary, distracting themselves from thinking about the race.

The television was on most of the time, constantly on the channel with the Greek broadcasts of the Games.

Sometimes, Caroline and Georgina would just drift off to their room to be alone, engulfing themselves in books.

Their mother, Fran, sent a boxful

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Twins' golden smiles say it all


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of books with them when they left home for Europe three months ago to prepare for the Olympics. A while ago, Caroline flicked through the box and found what she thought would be the easiest, simple-to-read books and set them aside for her last week before the Olympic final.

Georgina opted for a more serious true-life story of inspiration.

It was good to escape.

"You have got to be able to switch on and off at the right time," said Georgina. "I think I would explode if I was switched on and thinking about it 24-7."

At 7am on Saturday, after the gruelling bowl of Weet-Bix, the twins climbed into a van with the men's four crew to ride down to the course.

No one said much, all six athletes concentrating already. There was no music on in the van.

"We haven't been able to find a decent radio station," Georgina joked later.

They warmed up for their 9.50am race and navigated their way to the startline. Rowing can be a lonely toil, hours spent training in the dawn alone.

Even at the startline of the Olympic finals, there is a sense of loneliness and isolation. The end is 2km away in a straight line.

The crowds gathered waiting for the finish, including scores of Kiwis bursting with pride and anticipation, are well out of sight.

The sound of the ground announcer can just be made out.

Around this man-made rectangle of water northeast of central Athens are three small, dusty mountains dotted with pine and olive trees.

Alongside is the Field of Marathon, the venue 2500 years ago for the battle remembered in the name of the 42.2km road race which will cap off the Games this weekend.

From the start, the double world champion Evers-Swindells, unbeaten in three years, sprinted.

"The way we approach the race is that you race to the 1500m," said Georgina. "All your training you've done will get you home in that last 500m. You couldn't wait until the last 500 to make your move."

By 500m, they were 1.69s clear of the second-placed German crew. At 1000m, the gap had grown to 2.31s, at 1500m it was 4.05s.

But as they cut through the water in front of the stands in the last 250m, the Germans closed up, causing palpitations for the New Zealanders watching.

On board, the Evers-Swindells were oblivious until near the end.

"It wasn't until the last 10 or 15 strokes I noticed that they were there. But you only have to win by this much," said Georgina, holding up her forefinger and thumb an inch apart.

In fact, they learned how narrow the margin was (0.99s) only when they were autographing a results sheet about an hour later.

To see how close it was surprised them - it was their tightest win for several years.

As they crossed the line, exhaustion overwhelmed the sense of exhilaration. While some winning crews celebrated by slapping each other on the back, or climbing across to hug, the Evers-Swindells sat still in their positions.

It was not until they reached the dock that they managed a hug.

Then came a round of interviews, including a question from a British journalist on how they felt about the official pre-race preview referring to them as the water-born version of legendary American 400m runner Michael Johnson.

"Did it?" said Caroline. "How embarrassing."

When they finally reached the pontoon, they climbed off into the arms of Tonks.

"He's such a legend and we're so lucky to have him as a coach," said Caroline.

Several hours later, the sisters were beginning to realise the enormity of what they had done.

They went to the athletes' village to celebrate with the New Zealand team members, then returned to the house they had stayed in for the week to party with the other rowers.

As they posed for yet another photo of them with their gold medals, never tiring of the request to put their arms around each other, another golden smile broke out across Georgina's face.

"This is good. I like this."

Spot the difference

Caroline wore blue sunglasses on the dais.

Georgina wore mauve sunglasses on the dais.

Caroline will choose clothes that are shades of blue.

Georgina wears pink and red clothing.

Caroline is studying sociology and education.

Georgina is studying art history.

Caroline is 1.5 centimetres smaller than her sister. (Georgina 180cm, Caroline 178.5cm).

Georgina is 4 minutes older.

Georgina has a scar in the centre of her forehead, but it can only be seen up close.

Georgina is the more outgoing and gregarious.

Mum Fran: "They insist on wearing their hair in the same style, but I dispute they are identical at all."