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Editor’s Letter
Welcome to Issue 39
It was in Beijing in 2008 that Para rowing first appeared at the Paralympics. In its short history it has already produced some famous rivalries, controversies and even household names. After a year of uncertainty and delay following the rescheduling of the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2020, Para rowing returned for its fourth edition in Tokyo this summer. Amidst the intense heat and the eerie silence of spectator-less grandstands, the athletes demonstrated their indomitable spirit and grit across three fraught days of racing. See our full coverage in this issue of the Paralympic rowing starting with race reports, photos and stats from the Sea Forest Waterway. We also speak to some of the Paralympians who were racing in Tokyo to hear first-hand their experiences of the Games.
ParalympicsGB topped the rowing medal table in Tokyo for the second Games running, winning gold in two of the four events offered. They also continued an unbeaten streak in the mixed four that stretches back to London 2012. In stark contrast their Olympic counterparts dropped from first place in the medal table at the last three Olympics to fourteenth place in Tokyo. The steep decline of the GB rowing team prompted a slew of headlines in the immediate aftermath of the regatta, but the fundamental question remained: Why? Row360’s Deputy Editor, Tom Ransley, has done a ‘deep dive’ to discover the reasons for the poor performance. For his article – Were The Team Let Down By Management? – Tom spoke to athletes, coaches, support staff, and commentators. You can read Tom’s excellent article in this issue.