We went into this event with the realization that we would not be the biggest crew in Queens’ gymnasium, so our dual aims were that each crew member pull a personal best for their 500m leg and that we build some energy and excitement with this first competition before the real races on the water begin in a few weeks. It’s my pleasure to report that we were successful on both accounts. The whole crew thrived off the intensity of the event and their surroundings, and all eight rowers pulled their personal best 500m times, with most shattering their old records. Individual highlights include Matthijs Groeneveld’s placing 17th out of 384 rowers in the M1 division with an impressive time of 1:28.46s, Zsolt Vertessy’s coolly pulling a 1:37.56s despite having one of his feet out of the strap for the final 350m of the race, and our cox Ardi Liaunardy-Jopeace’s fearlessly stepping in as a sub in the final leg of the race to destroy his 500m PB.
The crew posted a respectable average of 1:41.29s for their 500m pieces. This time left us short of qualifying for the men’s final for the evening, but with our aims met, we now turn our focus back to actual rowing and away from the utter madness of 500m erg competitions! Next up will be Clare Novices, where we know the continued diligence and technical focus from our outings will be rewarded.
