Changing Lanes
FISA trials new athlete lane selection policy
WORDS RACHEL QUARRELL
FISA are dipping their toes in the water of quiet revolution this summer as, for the first time – experimentally, and in only a few selected events – rowers are choosing their racing lanes themselves.
The brainchild of the FISA Athlete’s Commission, the Athlete Lane Selection (ALS) concept reverts control of lane choice back to the quickest crews from the previous round. It works like this: after the opening heats in which lanes are allocated randomly, crews move into the next round of racing according to the standard FISA progression system and then ALS begins. For instance, imagine opening heats have been heldin an event with the winning crews going straight through to the semi-finals.
Images of lane racing from Sarasota 2017, nine months before the first trial of athlete lane selection in Belgrade.
PHOTOGRAPHY BENEDICT TUFNELL