From despair to elation for Christou
Getting to go to the Olympic Games in rowing can be unpredictable. At the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta this week crews missed out on qualifying sometimes by less than half a second. That’s less than one stroke.
For Ioannis Christou of Greece coming fourth in the men’s single race and thus missing out on the Olympic spot by a mere 0.185 of a second was devastating. But good news has come Christou’s way. One spot has been made available at the Beijing Olympic Games and Christou’s incredibly small loosing margin has become his ticket to the Games.
The one spot became available courtesy of China. China’s top male single sculler Liang Zhang earned an Olympic berth when he won the men’s single at the Asian Qualification Regatta in April this year. At this regatta the athletes that race must also be the athlete that competes at the Olympics. Zhang then came to the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Poznan, Poland, these last few days and raced in the men’s double. At this final qualification regatta crews that race must be the same athletes as those that compete at the Beijing Olympic Games.
Zhang, with partner Hui Su, won the men’s double. The Chinese Rowing Federation has decided that Zhang will race in both the men’s single and men’s double at Beijing. This opened up one spot in rowing at the Games. Christou has been chosen to fill that spot.
Christou only started training in the single two weeks ago after he was no longer able to row with his doubles partner. His partner, Ioannis Tsamis had to withdraw his Olympic bid after testing positive for a masking agent. This will be Christou’s first Olympic Games.
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