London Olympic rowing gold medallist Joseph Sullivan knows about dealing with heat, so it seems appropriate the 27-year-old, who has announced his retirement, will join the fire service.
Nowhere in Sullivan's career was it more white hot than the London Olympic final on Dorney Lake after 500m, when he and recently retired partner Nathan Cohen were last. Their race strategy was a treat to watch as they moved to fifth by the 1000m and fourth by the 1500m.
"I didn't really know what was happening," Sullivan said at the time. "Nathan told me to be calm. We knew the others would have to pay for it somewhere. Nathan said 'yip, go' at the 1500m mark and we went for it."
Thousands of kilometres eked out on Lake Karapiro were transformed into two golden discs.
The scene oozed serenity as they crossed the line. An easy release of the oars followed by a gentle raising of the arms. Hands were shaken and Sullivan slumped into Cohen's lap. Then, the normally reserved Sullivan stood up in the boat's narrow shell to survey the scene of their domination. The man's balance matched his chutzpah.
