Alex Partridge sent a series of e-mails to friends during the few days before and after racing in the GB VIII in Beijing
7 August - Chilling with Anne
Hello everyone,
News update.......It is still hot!!!
Last night we had the pleasure of attending a reception at the Ambassador's residence. The whole British rowing team got dolled up in our full Olympic suits, which you had to time just perfection with departure time, or the bead down the crease of your back would start up. After that starts there is no stopping it on you have the pleasure of the hour and half bus ride soaking wet.
The residence as one can imagine is pretty sweet, but due to security we were in a marquee in the garden. The usual security was in force, a full body scan at the gate, and "no photo's of the building please." Our team then joined all of the other sports or Team GB in the tent, and we were given another rousing go get em from the British Ambassador, British Sports minister, and then a well done to Mark Foster for being voted to carry the flag in the opening ceremony. Pretty impressive: the guy is 38 and has been to every Olympics since Seoul in 1988, only missing out on Athens.
It would have been quite cool to have been able to mingle afterwards with all the stars of the other sports and try and get in there with Sue Barker and Gabby Logan, but of course I got stuck in the corner talking to an ex-foreign diplomat from China named Cheng. He was a professor of English now, and had volunteered to help Team GB. Don't get me wrong, he was incredibly interesting and his insight into how the Games will affect China afterwards was very educational, but he did lack some of the highlights Barker and Logan bring to the screen. Being a Diplomat he could seriously hold a conversation and also seemed obsessed with Ronnie O'Sullivan. "he gives me great prreassure, that Wonnie. Greeeaat Prreassure." which is enjoyable for 25 minutes.
The highlight of the evening though was meeting Princess Anne. She was incredibly regal, even in her official team suit, which I might add was the same as ours. It was incredible how she could hold the conversation, especially on Rowing, which I imagine she knows little about. Although she did use a lot of comparisons between us and horses which understandably is her strength. It was quite funny when she comes over to talk your group, you are given an advance warning by her minions. This is followed by a group of her body guards surrounding you, and then the Princess wanders over as if it were some casual cocktail party. All very fun. One of the guys in the eight refrained from asking her for her daughter's phone number.
It was quite amusing hanging out with Josh at the reception. At 6' 8" his is the tallest in Team GB, and all the other sports keep coming up to him to ask have their picture taken with him. It is quite funny because you feel huge standing next to the athletics team and the hockey teams. In fact the rowing team look like Giants compared to all the other sports. I think it doesn't help that we have not got a Basketball team competing here.
Today is back to normal. Cranking it out out the course, and trying to intimidate the opposition with our lighting speed.
Hope you are all keeping well
Alex
11 August - Turn up the Heat
Well Hombres,
It's definitely kicked off now, and I have to say it was a pleasant start. Being delayed by another day was a little annoying, but as long as it is the same for all the crews that we're racing, I'm fine with that. I'm sure everything is going to be a lot harder in the final, but as my old coach Richard Sprately would say, you have to get there first. So at least we're there. Plenty more training to be done over the next couple of days, you can either get faster or you get slower, what you do is totally up to you. I know what we're planning on doing.
It was pretty cool racing the home nation, because the noise going through the 500m grandstand was immense. Well done to the GB supporters for managing to get their "Go GB" chanting through the crazy Chinamen's chaotic screaming. The support out here has been fantastic and it makes your skin tickle when you see all the Union Jacks hanging in the stands. I think on just flag support alone we take every other nation down hands down. I would not be surprised if the cheap Chinese beer does help to lubricate our supporters' parched throats somewhat, and perhaps add a few decibels of volume to their shouting.
What a result for Rebecca Adlington, and Jo Jackson. First gold medal in the pool for GB since 1988, and I think the first time since '64 that we got a women's gold. What a hero, and what a way to race. I bet that Hoff lady is kicking herself now.
I am now off to spend a pleasant night's rest in my compression leggings, courtesy of Canterbury Clothing. I highly recommend it, they're very comfortable, although I do have the air-conditioning cranked up to the max, otherwise they can get a little warm in the Beijing heat.
Hope all of you are well
Cheers
Alex
Oh yeah, the rain makes things a lot more comfortable, but it's STILL PRETTY HOT
15 August - The Waiting Game
Right Compadres,
It has been a massive case of the waiting game, and tomorrow's first day of finals could not have come sooner. Don't get me wrong, we've been having a great time, but holding on to the bannister with every step up and down stairs, washing your hands in alcohol hand rub every time you touch a door handle or eat food begins to get a little tedious. We are staying true to Richard Sprately's old saying "You've got to rap yourself in cotton wool", and to be honest, I'm glad we have. A couple of teams have suffered some real illness which has really affected their performance. We saw the Germans lightweight mens four's coaches packing up their boat before the semi-final. Three of them had gone down ill in the village, and they only had one substitute, so it was game over.
All the guys are in good spirits and we all can't wait to smash it in on Sunday, but it is a real challenge staying calm and relaxed until then. I do my best to distract myself with DVD's and books. Watching the Olympics has been good, but I try not to watch too much of the British coverage otherwise I get over excited. It is much better in Chinese as they tend to focus on table tennis, badminton, and Gymnastics and I have no idea what they are talking about.
Should be an interesting day of racing tomorrow, and I hope everyone has the best performance they possibly can.
That's all I have to say for now. If I think too much about things now I'll get too excited again and they'll have to put me in the white room with the bright lights again. Acer, our cox and my room-mate runs a pretty tight ship, and keeps me well under control.
This will probably be it until after the big day.
I hope you all are well and have a great weekend
Cheers
Alex
It's still hot, but not unbearable anymore.
27 August - Back to Blighty
Well everyone,
We're back now and it has been a surreal experience. Olympic land is a make believe place where you are so far disconnected from reality it is untrue. I have had the two most contrasting Olympic weeks. The first is the most intense period of ups and downs in your sporting life. A period when it is everything that you can do to make you get to the start line without anything happening to you. Every time you touch a door handle or shake some hands you get out your personal alcohol hand rub and scrub your hands. Hand rails up and down stairs are essential followed by more hand rub. My personal habit of always taking the plate second from the top in case anyone had coughed on the top one. Cotton wool to the extreme. Then the racing, joy at making the final and then initial disappointment in achieving an Olympic silver. Emotional confusion to the extreme.
Then on to the second week. A time of enjoying yourself and appreciating the people you row with off the water, to the extreme. Basically if you are finished with your competition the Olympics is a 24hr party for both spectator and competitor. Human kind at its best, and kindest. Everyone you meet has a story and a smile and is just as keen to hear yours. Olympic legends mingling with obscure nations' unknowns and forming friendships to last forever but also never again. The evenings filled with parties thrown by the most unusual sponsors of Olympics, finishing at 0830 followed by the obligatory trip to the village's unlimited Golden arches (McD's), a trip back to the room for a shower and then on to the next great sporting event of the day. It is amazing how little sleep the body needs to operate. Needless to say after seven days of Olympic holiday and the grand finale of the closing (which was incredible by the way) it is so nice to be home back in blighty.
Gina of course outdid herself and after picking me up from a chaotic press-filled landing she returned me to a Union Jack covered Park Road. The whole street were outside our house and for the first time in nearly 18 months of living here I met all of our neighbors. What a delight to bring the whole street together, much merriment and food was enjoyed by all. Never has our house had so many children running around bouncing off the walls, but that made it all the more special.
Now it is back to reality, and in a slightly more pleasant climate. It would be great to see you all and hear all of your news and plans for the future. As for myself I am going to take some time to gather some perspective on the whole thing and try and regain some health to my body. It has been an experience I will never forget but made all the more enjoyable to be able to share with you all. Here's to the next chapter.
Hope to see you all soon
Alex
Its not so hot anymore