Rowing: Rowers face mandatory heart screening at world events

Rob Waddell said rowing with his heart defect was like "rowing in mud". Photo / Getty Images

Rowing is introducing compulsory heart checks before global regattas after Olympic research showed more than 90 per cent of non-traumatic sudden death in athletes stems from pre-existing heart conditions.

New Zealand rowing is no stranger to athletes with heart conditions. Rob Waddell's struggle with his heart condition to finish the deciding 2008 Olympic single sculls trial race against Mahe Drysdale was highly visible. The fact the Sydney Olympic gold medallist endured the full 2000m is remarkable given his atrial fibrillation, where the organ races out of rhythm, struck after about 300m. At the time Waddell said "it's like rowing in mud".

Fellow Olympic gold medallist, and Waddell's 2008 double sculls partner Nathan Cohen, struck another heart problem, SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) last year. It prevented him racing at the world championships.

"It feels like your oxygen is running out, you lose power and become weaker, like you're dragging something behind the boat," Cohen said. He subsequently retired.

Brit Greg Searle, who won gold in the coxed pair at the Barcelona Olympics and returned at age 40 to take bronze in the eight at London, discovered last year he had atrial fibrillation. The same condition affected fellow Brit and double Olympic champion Tom James in the coxless four.

Rowing's world governing body, Fisa, has taken steps to identify such problems, conducting compulsory heart checks before global regattas, starting with this year's junior world championships. Athletes will complete a questionnaire, a physical examination and an electrocardiogram (ECG) to uncover anomalies in rhythm and conductivity.

Athletes with a personal or inherited history of cardiac disease will face further evaluation.

The system is based on the International Olympic Committee's pre-competition health screening after research that the leading cause (more than 90 per cent) of non-traumatic sudden death in athletes is related to pre-existing heart problems. Waddell, who is now the New Zealand Olympic team's chef de mission, welcomed the move.

"The advantages of early detection so you can cope better are obvious but they also mean you never threaten ruining your campaign or anyone else's. It's up to each athlete how they handle it after that."

Waddell first suffered symptoms in a coxless four at the 1995 world championships: " "I knew for a long time I was going to have to manage it. That's the reason I didn't row at the Athens Games.

"Once diagnosed, I subjected myself to every cardiac test possible."

Dr Rob Doughty is a cardiologist at Auckland Hospital where he is leader of the heart failure service. He is also the Heart Foundation chair in heart health at the University of Auckland. He conducts athlete heart assessments with sports organisations across a range of disciplines, usually in conjunction with the doctor employed by each sport.

"The death of premier athletes is tragic but fortunately rare," Doughty says. "We conduct similar tests to what the rowing governing body is suggesting with the aim of detecting congenital heart abnormalities as well as those developed during a sporting career; nature versus nurture, if you like. We help sports bodies interpret the tests while team doctors do the bulk of the assessment. It's about taking a responsible attitude by being aware."

Football governing body Fifa is also making it part of its pre-event assessment at international tournaments.