row2k talked to men's para-rowing single sculler Blake Haxton after his fifth place finish about his progress over the past year, what he takes away from the 2015 Worlds, and his qualification of the boat for the Rio Paralympics in 2016.
row2k: I know this is not the outcome that you expected, but as far as the week goes and the year you've had, my impression is that you have made real progress. What is your perspective on it now that it is over, and you've qualified the boat, which is huge. That's considerable consolation, but on the other hand, this is not the result that you were working toward.
Haxton: I think that's right. The day wasn't exactly what we were hoping for, but all in all it wasn't a terrible day either. We were hoping for better, but you get on the water with those five guys, and you get a result like that and in the grand scheme of things, that's a darn good day in a boat. Those five guys got the best I had; they can move the boat and they deserved it. You get to race the best in the world, that's a good day to get out of bed. So that's positive.
And yeah, I think we learned a ton this year. We're definitely faster than we were last year. And we'll just take this and know that this was just one day at the end of it. Unfortunately it was maybe a longer day than we hoped for, but it's just one day.
row2k: I know that the Paralympic qualification is just a piece of things, but have you thought about about the Paralympic qualification as a personal goal and having achieved that?
Haxton: Until this point we really thinking about today and didn't want to think that far down the line, but now that the US has a spot in Rio, everything's going to be focused on getting that spot and then making that spot go fast.
Row2k: Especially in the single, it's rough that you go out and earn the spot for the boat, and then you have to earn the chance to race in that boat all over again next year.
Haxton: Yeah, it's kind of funny, but that's what makes the boats the fastest, and that's one of the reasons putting the jersey on is so special. It's something you got to earn every time out, and it's a privilege you get every time you get to put it on, so we'll just try and do it again.
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