As mentioned in our comprehensive report from today's racing, US sculler Ken Jurkowski looks to be returning to form three years after having to withdraw from the 2012 Olympics followed by a stint of rehab that he feels he is just now putting behind him. Many of this morning's interviews focused on the dual responsibility for and tension between racing in a World Championship while also trying to qualify their event for the country ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games. Jurkowski, if you recall, had to go through the so-called "Regatta of Death" in 2012, and brings a unique perspective to the question. I asked Ken about his thoughts on racing at this regatta, and how his experience in 2012 looks from this distance.
row2k: You have been away from racing for three years, and as you work on a comeback you are not only racing for a World Championship, but you're also in the Olympic qualifying race where the stakes are really high. It is a double-pronged challenge in addition to a comeback; how are you approaching all these various challenges?
Ken: The single is always challenging, and I would say you are always balancing those two things – appreciation for the long term or the big picture goal, but also making sure you don't lose sight of staying focused on each stroke that you are taking and each race that you are going through. If you don't (stay focused), you’re never going to make the next step.
And I think that's part of what makes the single fun is that the stakes are always high, the competition is always high. The good thing about this race having so many entries is that it is a big progression. When there are quarter finals, I think that helps keep the racing more honest and even across the board.
But to be honest, I’m really just trying to stay ahead of my roommate, Nick Trojan. I managed to beat his time just by a second today - so I can maintain my spot in the heavyweight single (laughs).
row2k: Going back to what you said about the big picture versus focusing on one stroke at a time, I sometimes figure that by the time elite rowers get to a very high level, they have probably made almost every mistake possible along the way. Now that you’ve made all those mistakes, if there were young people who you had to help figure out how to do all this, what have you found is most important?
Ken: I think I’ve learned that at 2008 at the final qualification regatta, which it isn’t really different than any other regatta, and I actually by definition I should be less competitive compared to a World Cup or World Championship, because the top competition isn’t there. But I had gone through the heat and the semi-finals in that regatta being very nervous, and being very hyperaware of whether I was doing just enough to advance, was I managing my energy, and all these things.
I ended up rowing really poorly in those races. I was advancing, I was in the finals, but it was not going all that well.
That’s probably where I had the biggest learning moment, is that I had a moment when I was warming up for the final, and finally just decided that I was just going to try to row my best piece. So whatever the outcome was, at least I could cross the finish line and be able to say, I rowed as well as I could, and as fast as I want and be happy with that.
And I ended up winning the final qualification regatta. So I try to remember that now, but all the time your best result is going to come from your best performance. So whatever everybody else is doing, or things you can’t control, to be honest they really don’t matter. You need to just focus on what’s going to affect your performance and make all those things as optimized as you can.
So for younger guys, I feel like a lot written about the qualifications stuff, and everybody is afraid of the final qualification regatta. Ultimately, you’re just trying to figure out who is fast enough, or the fastest people within certain qualification standards by continent, to go to the Olympics. So if you can’t meet the standards, if you are not doing that fast, then you’re not there yet. I think it’s just a matter of focusing on going as fast as you can, and tuning out all that other stuff. Because people do crazy things and fall out of what’s ideal for them; they’re concerned with outside factors, and that’s a mistake for certain.
Comments | Log in to comment |
There are no Comments yet
|
row2k's Worlds coverage is brought to you in part by:
row2k's Worlds coverage is brought to you in part by: