PHOTOGRAPHY KIM ANDERSEN
Ask yourself this; what would Real Madrid do if they were faced with the prospect of losing star man Cristiano Ronaldo for an extended period of time? Well, transfer that scenario to rowing and you will be confronted by a similar dilemma to that of the Danish national squad. Having won a historic gold medal in the lightweight four at the 2014 world championships, the crew are now faced with the prospect of racing without their leader and talisman Morton Jørgensen. The 30 year old oarsman was forced to take leave of the sport just before the 2015 European championships after his body began showing signs of severe over-training.
This was a tough blow for the fabulous four, who had had the luxury of preparing themselves for competition without injuries for two years – a luxury afforded to few, and an advantage that the Danish crew had capitalised on. Suddenly the quartet, who are referred to in their home country as ‘Guldfireren’ (The Golden Four), had to adjust to a new crew member and a new rhythm. With Jørgensen onboard, the four were reigning world and European champions so it was deeply frustrating for the sidelined Olympic silver medallist to see them have to settle for third place in Poznan.