Here's a brief glimpse at some Olympic and national team rowers, past and present. The rowers who are still competing will be thoroughly tested this 1996 summer on Lake Lanier, outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Those Olympians who have retired will look on with envy and respect at the skill, determination, ability, toughness, and compassion of the new generation. The mantle of success will be passed.
James Martinez is a one-man ecological preservation crew. He loves rowing and he loves the environment, both with equal, maniacal fervor. Martinez, who finished fifth in the lightweight single scull at the '94 and '95 Worlds, has the distinction of never having rowed in college. In fact, he claims to not even have touched a sweep oar until late 1995, when he decided to try out for the lightweight straight-four, in hopes of making the U.S. Olympic team in 1996.
Carie Graves embodies the whole world of women's rowing. She was the stroke of the Wisconsin crews that won the national championships in 1975. A year later, at the Montreal Olympics, she was in the U.S. eight that won the bronze medal. At the Los Angeles Olympics in '84 she was again in the U.S. eight, which this time won the gold. Carie, now head women's coach at Northeastern University, can still outdistance her rowers on hill runs and erg rows.
Xeno Muller is the most famous. Swiss native since Alberto Giacometti. Xeno is a free spirited, fast talking, solo-working champion single sculler. He won the single scull World Cup in '94 and '95 and in '94 set a world record for 2000 meters in 6:38. The smart money is on Xeno to win the single at the Atlanta Olympics.
Kris Karlson, now Dr. Karlson, won a gold medal at the '88 Worlds in the lightweight single scull. The next year, she came back and won the gold in the lightweight double and single scull. With lightweight events being added to the '96 Games, she's hoping to make a comeback at the Atlanta Olympics in the lightweight double.
Tom Bohrer has made the U.S. national team more times than anyone can remember, usually in the straight four. In '92 his crew won the silver medal, behind Australia. Tom is also an extraordinary erg-spinner. He once set a record for 2500 meters while at the same time undergoing a VO2 test, mask and all.
Harry Parker, leader of mice and men, lowly Johns and lofty Olympians, Coach Parker, to you. Man or myth? Stately coach or cagey statuette? This much is known for certain: he raced in the 1960 Olympics in the single scull and finished fifth. Not long afterwards, he vaulted into the head coaching job at Harvard. His contract is rumored to expire sometime after his now one-year old daughter graduates.
Scott Roop is the head coach of Brown University. Scott was the last male American single sculler to win a gold medal at the World Championships way back in 1981. Scott is also a talented artist. Several years ago he turned his energies to the broad canvas of collegiate coaching, and soon achieved success. In 1995, his Brown varsity crew won the Cincinnati national championships.
Joline Esparaza is a former national team rower and founder of JL Sportswear. Who would have thought that a $65 pair of rowing trow would be required wearing for rowers? It is now. For the past ten years, Joline and her husband Ken have been cutting and sewing the ultra-comfortable, omni-practical uni-suits for dozens of national teams including the U.S. crews. Look for her distinctive suits on the awards strands at the Atlanta Games.
Ted Nash is one of the few Olympic gold medalists to have pursued coaching. He rowed in the straight four in the '60 Rome Olympics that won the gold, and four years later his straight four took a bronze. Don't be surprised if he's in Atlanta coaching some boat, perhaps the women's quad.
Linda Muri holds many distinctions. She was kissed by Fidel Castro at the Pan American Games in 1991, and soon thereafter went on to win a silver medal in the open double. An MIT grad, Linda was the spare on the '91 and '92 World teams. She stuck with it, persisted where others would have folded, and plowed her way to the top, winning consecutive gold medals at the '94 and '95 World Championships in the lightweight straight four.
Anne Marden could give the Energizer bunny a run for its money. Anne was on four Olympic teams, '80 boycott, '84 quad sculls silver medal, '88 single scull silver medal and fourth at the '92 Games, again in the single. In the last ten years of her rowing career, Anne lived in London, where she worked at a real job with real responsibilities, while regularly changing the oil in her car.
Mary and Betsy McCagg, the McCagg Sisters, followed their father and grandfather onto the rowing team at Harvard. Both Betsy and Mary were in the U.S. eight that won the World Championships in 1995, and Betsy went on to be named female athlete of the year.
Jay Feenan, lightweight rower, 37-year-old father of three, graduate of WPI, respected by all. Jay who has rowed on every U.S. team since 1989, is a FISA athlete representative, one of only five in the world.
Mike Teti is one of the few rowers to have successfully blended coaching and competing, excelling at both. While coaching the Princeton freshmen crew Mike also trained and raced at the '92 Olympics in the eight-oared shell. Along with Princeton head coach Curtis Jordan, Teti will be coaching the lightweight straight-four in Atlanta.
Mike Spracklen, from Great Britain, to Canada, to Otay Lakes, California, just a stone's throw from the Mexican border, Coach Spracklen has enjoyed remarkable success every place he's unpacked his bags. The gold medal in the men's eight at the '94 Worlds was his greatest achievement since arriving in the US. Spracklen's eight is sure to be in the gold medal hunt in Atlanta.
Steve Segaloff is coxswain of the U.S. men's eight. He has steered U.S. crews to medals at the '93, '94 and '95 Worlds, and also to victories at the Henley Royal Regatta and Lucerne Regatta. From Moscow to Mission Bay, Steve's father Jim has yet to miss one of his son's races.
Hartmut Buschbacher is coach of the Women's Sweep and Sculling teams. He and his wife Christine hail from East Germany where they both rowed on the national team. Coach Buschbacher has single-handedly transformed the scope of women's rowing in this decade. Power, power and more power is the theme. Whatever he's doing, it's working. The U.S. women won more medals at the '95 World Championships than any other year. And he's doing it all without the miracle of pharmaceuticals!
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