When US men's single sculler Yohann Rigogne assessed his chances to make the US team as a sculler, he didn't expect to find himself racing in Amsterdam – instead, he had set his sights on the 2015 Worlds, which will be held in Aigebellete in Rigogne's former home country of France.
But winning the trials obviously changed all that, and Rigogne found himself wearing the (US) red, white and blue this year as a member of the US team. In a field rife with former World and Olympic champions and medalists, Rigogne got as close a look as anyone at what it takes to compete in the single at this level this week.
In winning the E final this morning with a very solid row, Rigogne ended his first national team campaign with a victory. row2k talked to Yohann after the racing.
My understanding was that you felt 2014 was a year before you were ready to do this; but now that it’s over were you glad to come and f get into the thick of the event? What do you take away from the championship?
Yeah. I’m glad I raced in the first couple races alongside the big guys; physically they were super fast. I was of course disappointed to lose, but when I look at the names (in the event), I’m pretty proud of what I did.
For example, Olaf Tufte in the C/D semi.
Exactly, it looks like the field was moving anc changing a lot this year. I won the Final E, I’m pretty happy with it. I had a good race, and I started to post good times the last two races, and I got some experience from it. It will be good for next year.
In the end you feel like it was good to have done this?
Yes, it was a very, very good experience for me. Of course it was my first time here, and I wanted to see how fast these scullers go in the water, and I got a taste of it (laughs)!.
So now you know.
Now I know. Next year maybe back in the single, maybe back the pair, I will see. Everything is possible.
Where do you live and train year round?
Right now I live in Philadelphia and I train at Vesper with John Parker and Sean Clarke as my coach, and I think I’m just going to stay there for the rest of my career. I’m not trying to get into camp or anything like that. We want for me maybe to put a big pair for next year, so that’s the goal.
Do you spend any time back in France at all?
I try to go back once a year just to visit family. They didn’t come here because it was short notice, as the trials were only three weeks ago. I’m not going to go back this year, probably not before Christmas, because I’ve got my wedding in three weeks in Philadelphia. It was a lot this year (laughs)! So I go back to Philly and I get ready for the wedding, then it’s time for me to get back to training.
Here you are on the US team with born and bred American kids; what was that like to integrate into a big team really quickly, on the buses, hotels, airplanes, all that?
It was good, everybody helped me a lot, everybody was really nice and it was good to be part of the team. I’m not telling my age usually, because I’m probably the oldest one on the team (laughs). It’s okay, I still look young and people were very nice on the team, so it was easy to get in.
Were there any culture shock moments for you that were funny?
No, I’ve been in U.S.A. for 8 years so I’ve been around rowers in the U.S.A. for a while. I’m starting to know what’s the difference between France and the US. It was a very good experience with the National team in U.S.A.
How did you end up in the U.S?
I was married to a citizen, she’s from Ohio and we got divorced 4 years ago and that’s when I started to go back to rowing again. I decided to move to Philly for a job first; I work at Neilsen-Kellerman. At first I was like, eh, I don’t know if I want to do that again, but I got some good speed and Michiel Bartmann, the coach at Vesper at the time, said maybe you should try one more time.
That was four years ago. So when I went back to rowing my first year, I was not so good, and the year after I started to get better. And this year at NSR1 I got sixth, so I’m like oh, I got it still.
In France I was a pretty successful rower, but not at the national team level, I didn't quite make it. But when I started rowing again in Philadephia, it was quite a shock, because you know Michiel pushed me very hard, and it took a little while to get used to it again.
So you’re training and working full time?
Yes, correct. NK is very nice for my schedule; of course it’s a company who does rowing stuff, so they are very nice with me, especially the last few months, they let me go training almost full time, two or three times a day. But yes, I’m an engineer at NK so I have to be at the office most of the week every day so it’s been nice.
How about your new family, have they let you train too?
Yeah, my new fiancé is a rower so she understands what it is. Her name is Maureen Agnew, and she used to row for Philadelphia University. So she never raced at the elite level, but she knows about training, what the purpose of training is, so she pushes me a lot. In the morning she kicks me out of the bed (laughs). She knows I still have some up my sleeve, and she’s very happy I’m here, of course. She couldn’t be here because she’s getting ready for the wedding.
Congrats to Yohann on the World Champs, and to Yohann and Maureen on their pending nuptials!
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