Thursday, August 26, 2010

Practice and the Olympic Water Stadium

The last few days have been a blur. With a cancelled flight and everyone dispersed to the wind (literally), we trickled into Hungary. Since then it's been sleep, eat, practice, eat, meetings ... sleep, eat, practice, meetings. For 2 days, we've practiced at Szeged's Olympic water sports stadium (See picture) It's wonderful with some great permanent buildings along the course. There is a grass-topped island border that runs the length of the course with entrances onto the course at variuos distances. So you approach the coarse on the one side of the island and then drop onto the course to line up for your race.


Team USA has 2 main categories here: Senior (no age restrictions) and Masters (over 40). Our practice times have corresponded mainly with the Iranian and Hungarian teams. There's been lots of picture taking and wonderful exchanges with both the men's and women's teams from Iran. We share a bus to the race site which was been fun. Practices have gone well and I have finally got to try out a 10-man boat. IT'S FUN!!! The Senior division has 200 meter 10-man boat races as well as the standard 20-man boats. As the rest of the distances (500 m. and 2000 m.) will be in the standard boats.
Szeged has a lot of statues. The main one at the race course has to be honoring "The Speedo"! I wish I has a copy of the picture we took with some of the Iranian men. It was fabulous.


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