2014 Gay Games Regatta proves to be medalicious!
11 Aug 2014 - 19h16. | glrfcentral for the Boston Bee | 624 views | 0 stamps
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View of the regatta course on the Cuyahoga river. Click here to see all the images from the event, and to upload your own!
The 2014 Gay Games rowing event, originally planned as a 3200m. head race, was shortened to a side-by-side (Henley style) 1272m. sprint river race. The race start was up river and headed down river, through two major turns to finish in front of the Cleveland Rowing Foundation boathouse. Sixteen clubs or squads submitted 68 entries for 16 planned events. Two events did not have entries so the net events were narrowed to 14. For the results, click here.
Although there were 172 participants, the low number of entries created an event schedule that was slated to run from 08:20h - 12:20h, including three, 30 minute breaks. Unfortunately, the hosts of the regatta, the Cleveland Rowing Foundation, were unable to secure a full river closure (they get that right once a year for the Head of Cuyahoga in September). So the race schedule was suspended twice as commercial barge traffic motored through the course.
The regatta's first event was a Board race, with two eights representing the boards of the two organizations that supported the organization and execution of the regatta, the Western Reserve Rowing Association and the Cleveland Rowing Foundation. As Kirk Lange, head coach of WRRA and the executive director of the Cleveland Rowing Foundation explained, "the boards wanted to demonstrate their support for the regatta and did so in a manner truly befitting the rowing community." Western Reserve won the race in a time of 4:50.5
The local commitment to the regatta was evident from the number of local entries (over half of the event):
- Western Reserve Rowing Association (25 entries)
- Greater Columbus Rowing Association (11 entries)
It was medals galore for participants as some races were sorted into two sections, handicapped by age and time, and both sections receiving medals for first, second, and third place. Even events with only one entry raced and medaled (the Gay Games guidance to the regatta committee was very clear: "if they enter, they race and they medal.").
The ten most popular events were:
- men's open 1x (10 entries)
- women's 4+ (9 entries)
- mixed 8+ (9 entries)
- men's 4+ (7 entries)
- men's 2x (5 entries)
- mixed 2x (5 entries)
- mixed 4+ (5 entries)
- women's open 1x (4 entries)
- women's 8+ (4 entries)
- men's 8+ (4 entries)
3 Comments
Paul020
28 Aug 2014 - 15h39.
Paul020
28 Aug 2014 - 16h28.
The regatta race course was supposedly longer at the time of enrollment. The late change and shortening ofthe track made me doubt as a head racer (H. of he Amstel) and not a sprinter. Neverteless and with the encouragement of Mindy Roth I just
went for it. Mindy, as coach and host and principly as intern of the Cleveland Foundation and commissioned to the CFR for the GG9 CLE R R occasion, I want to express here my special thanks.
Only very few rowers from overseas came out to GG9 CLE RR. Many missed out on a great occasion I must say. The location and organisation did meet with all the standards for a international event.
Rowing is not taken for granted allway a part of Gay Games in general. (nor at Out Games for that matter) So I would like to call upon the LGBT rowers out there to show up .........and have fun! Yes we can ("and God knows we even don't need to try").
To the organizing brave ones amongst us I do advocate for having rowing rock hard inclusive all the next times of the GLBT sport event to come.
The fact we hear more over voices to put an end to the split between OUT en GAY games is to the many of us very promissing .On the other hand, with Copenhagen '09 and Antwerp '13, the OUTgames delivered for rowers pretty well so far. So when we unite gay-and-out in one again as by nature it should be, then for all the rowers I hope the inclusiveness of our sport will continue in at least the rithme of every 4 years where ever we shall meet.
glrfcentral
28 Aug 2014 - 22h54.
As for wonderful, talented and energetic Patrick, he is a GLRF member and you can see his profile and send him a message: baron9829