Rowing is New Zealand's most successful Olympic sport with Kiwis having conquered the ability to move backwards down a two-kilometre course at record pace. But what would happen if that course was 500m shorter?
In 2028, the Olympic course will be cut to 1500m with racing taking place at Marine Stadium on long beach in Los Angeles.
The venue was chosen for its proximity to the Olympic Village which will be at UCLA with the two kilometre options are too far away; Lake Perris is 140 kilometres east and it would have meant forking out for a satellite village while the 1984 venue, Lake Casitas, is too remote.
Tokyo gold medallist Emma Twigg said the news will be met with vary responses.
“There will be 50 per of the rowers that are throwing their hands in the air thinking, ‘woohoo, 500m less of a race, two minutes less in the pain cave,’ and there'll be others that are scratching their heads thinking, ‘oh dammit’,” Twigg sad.
To add to the challenge, all qualifying and major regattas in the build-up will be raced over the normal 2000 metres - so the only practice Kiwi crews get will be at training.
“It comes down to how you prepare,” Rowing NZ performance manager Judith Hamilton said.
“Knowing that the race is 1500m, then you prepare accordingly for it and we have time, we know now that that's what it's looking like so that's really key.”
Marine Stadium was used for the 1932 Games.
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