row2k Features
Moving your Body Horizontally through the Core
October 28, 2015
Charlotte Hollings

USA W4x - bodies moving horizontally through the core

Pre-Olympic years yield some especially intense racing at the World Championships. While medals are always on the line, this year it was also about qualifying for the 2016 Games in Rio. Some results were predictable (but no less exciting) - the 10th straight gold medal for the US Women's 8, the NZ Men's 2- continued dominance in their event, and Ondrej Synek and Mahe Drysdale battling for gold in the Men's 1x.

One somewhat more surprising result was the US Women toppling the Germans in the 4x - a first ever gold for the US in that event. America historically has been very much a sweep nation though there are signs, and this was a big one, that this is changing.

For the topic of this article, it was a photo of the US Women's 4x that best illustrates the point. What is most striking about the picture is how low in the boat the athletes are holding their bodies. What they're doing is exactly what we're looking to illustrate: you want to move your your body horizontally through the core.

Looking at the USA W4x, it would seem that this is an elementary concept, but it still seems to be a staple of the standard coaching "tool set" to tell athletes to "sit up" or "sit tall" in the boat.

Since a picture is worth 1000 words and row2k has a fantastic gallery of still shots from the Worlds, we wanted to showcase the rowing style of many of this year's World Champions. Note particularly their posture during different parts of the stroke. And if you want to watch the whole race as it unfolds, go to www.worldrowing.com.

Sunday A Finals:

USA Women's 8+
Mahe Drysdale - silver medalist Men's 1x, defending Olympic champion
Ondrej Synek - 2015 World Champion Men's 1x
Kim Crow - 2015 World Champion Women's 1x
Mirka Knapkova - defending Olympic Champion, Women's 1x
Croatia - 2015 World Champion Men's 2x

Saturday A Finals:

Great Britain Women's 2-, 2015 World Champions
US Women's 2-, 2015 World Championship bronze medalists
New Zealand Men's 2- 2015 World Champions and defending Olympic Champions
German Men's 4x - 2015 World Champions and defending Olympic champions
SUPPORT ROW2K
If you enjoy and rely on row2k, we need your help to be able to keep doing all this. Though row2k sometimes looks like a big, outside-funded operation, it mainly runs on enthusiasm and grit. Help us keep it coming, thank you! Learn more.



ADVERTISEMENT
row2k media is not responsible for external ad content
Get our Newsletter!

Support row2k!

Tremendous thanks to our
row2k supporters!

Get Social with row2k!
Like row2k on Facebook Follow row2k on Twitter Follow row2k on Instagram Follow row2k on Youtube Connect with row2k on LinkedIn

Get the row2k app!

row2k rowing store!

Get our Newsletter!
Enter your email address to receive our weekly newsletter.

Support row2k!


Advertiser Index
Advertise on row2k