2024-08-03 02:08:41
The rowers, who soon gave Lithuania hope for medals, talked about the second that is best understood only by other top-level athletes, when glowing faces turn around, the results are obviously great, but you don’t feel yourself.
“The joy is there. Only this second feels empty because we have given everything away. As a result, there is an emptiness in the soul and body, because from the first day you give away emotions, adrenaline, and strength,” explains 23-year-old K. Kralikaitė from Kaišiador.
The rower speaks as she has already had time to reflect on that crazy start, she has thought about it and the hope of winning medals was burning in her heart.
After the single double boat A final, they had to stop by the doping control room.
“Alive. A lot of work has gone into it. Here, not a season, not months, but year after year, we worked to get there, to participate. It is a great achievement to be in the finals, to fight to the last against the very highest-ranked rivals. Emotions are high. When I am in the opposition, I feel the situation. We drove the first kilometer the way we could, and when the second one was approaching, we had to monitor the situation. We knew that everyone was “spinning” the finish and that we would need it early, which we did. We didn’t wait until the last minute, we did it earlier and in a way we’ve never been before,” K. Kralikaitė spoke fluently and widely to herself.
Lithuanian rowers made their debut at the Paris Olympic Games this year. Athletes who started rowing together just last year made the Lithuanian fans shout loudly on Friday. They were third in the first half of the 2000m distance.
1500 meters left – fourth. At the end, a photo finish was even needed, after which it became clear that K. Kralikaitė and I. Adomavičiūtė covered the distance in 7 minutes. 05.34 sec. They were fifth.
American A.Czajkowski and J.Thoennes took the fourth place. She beat the Lithuanians by just 0.03 seconds.
“Not much from what I’ve seen. I looked straight, I tried to feel the rhythm of the boat, because I have to give the rhythm so that the boat is active, fast, good technique. I didn’t really look around, but I heard Kamile’s words: “We’re third, third.” We did everything we could,” said 29-year-old I.Adomavičiūtė about the hottest moments.
For Lithuanian rowers, the fifth place also guaranteed a state bonus – 25 thousand. 190 euros.
Both K. Kralikaitė and I. Adomavičiūtė openly told that they thought about medals before coming to the Olympic Games in Paris.
Unfortunately, this time the medals were collected by very experienced competitors.
In the double sculls competition, the 2023 world champions Dutch rowers Ymkje Clevering and Veronique Meester (6 min 58.67) won the gold. World Championship bronze medalists Ioana Vrinceanu and Roxana Anghel of Romania won silver (7 min 2.97 sec).
Olympic bronze went to Australians Jessica Morrison and Annabelle McIntyre (7 min. 03.54 sec.). The latter won silver at the 2023 World Championships.
“We competed with very titled athletes. We knew that there were very strong competitors in the top three. It’s fun to be in the fight”, said I.Adomavičiūtė.
Standing on the side of the Marne Canal in Vere, the Lithuanian rowers were generous with their words and thoughts. This is where it felt that none of them were certain about the future together, although they mentioned the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. However, the answer is no.
– Is it a pity 0.03 sec. part that separated it from fourth place?
I. Adamavičiūtė: Rubbing salt on the wound? (laughs). Sorry, but this is sport. We did everything we could. We didn’t give up and we didn’t give up that place. Some things are out of control.
K. Kralikaitė: Many achievements have occurred. I have been in a single boat since the beginning of my career in 2016 and since then I have never been able to get even close to the Greeks, and this time we passed them. In one year, while still being apart, we managed to work so motivated and hard that we moved from 11th place to 5th place and were still close to the medals. Last year we were not even rivals for the leaders. They didn’t even think about us, they probably wanted to get us both in the selection and in the semi-finals, because they thought that there would be nothing to do with us.
And now, both in the selection, as well as in the semi-finals and the final, she managed to fight against the highest level competitors. And not just to fight, but to row hard. This is a big win in a year’s time.
Of course, you want to win, because if you don’t, then you are missing something as an athlete.
And in the Olympics, no one has such thoughts – just to get here, you have to have a different attitude.
– Athletes often say that the fourth place is the worst that can be taken…
I. Adamavičiūtė: It would be so bad if we were the way we were, losing to the third placed fourth place. Then it would be really sad. At this point, we need to celebrate. The Olympics is a competition of the highest level and maybe you take part in it once in your life, so you need to experience the emotions and enjoy it.
– There is also disappointment in your voice. When will the joy of finishing 5th in the Olympics come?
I. Adamavičiūtė: This is not a disappointment, but we believed very strongly that we could be in the top three. Now we joke that in Los Angeles (2028 Olympic venue, – ed.) there will be a shorter distance, maybe it will be enough.
K. Kralikaitė: It will be 1,500 meters, and we were third at 1,500 meters (laughs). Joy is there. Only this second feels empty because we have given everything away. As a result, there is an emptiness in the soul and body, because from the first day you give away your emotions, adrenaline, and strength. It just seems for a second that you can’t give anything more.
I. Adamavičiūtė: And it wasn’t that we were lucky because everything went well. We knew we could, we had already shown good results both in training and during Amber Oars. We believed we could win medals.
– The first track was the farthest from the grandstand. What were the weather conditions like?
I. Adamavičiūtė: On Thursday, he won the gold medal from the first track, so there is no need to emphasize that.
K. Kralikaitė: The weather calmed down, the wind calmed down. Such weather shows that you have everything from yourself to drive. That wind will not blow, it will not blow, and the weather conditions are the same for everyone. In the side track, it is especially difficult for the owner to feel where you are, because everything is far away.
But the conditions were equal for everyone. When we arrived we believed that we could win medals and when we finished we believed. We were not in the final just to pass.
That fight is the greatest victory for an athlete, because it provides a lot of motivation.
– Did you feel that you found a lot of fans in Lithuania, ignited that hope for medals?
K. Kralikaitė: There was a great sense of unity. It seems that Lithuania, the towns, have united.
I am from Kaišiadori. Kaišiadorys never wrote about me until I got to the Olympics. That’s all it takes (laughs). We united Kaišiadori, Kaunas, Lithuania, America. A lot of Australians were rooting for us because I have a lot of friends there. That’s how everyone united and you can feel that unity.
But I agree with Ieva – we devoted all our energy to each other and to rowing. The unity was felt, but it only had such an impact that it now brings joy.
– Single rowing is a very technical event. You started training together last year. You also mentioned the Los Angeles Games. The plan is another Olympics?
I. Adamavičiūtė: Or maybe Camille wants to try rowing with two oars? Who knows (laughs).
K. Kralikaitė: The way you row together at the finish, like stop by and shows how perfectly you row together. It can be raised, shortened… How much we have achieved in a couple of seasons, which do not even make up 3 full months. What we have achieved is beyond your wildest dreams. One should be grateful that it happened.
I. Adamavičiūtė: I have a video of what we looked like when we got on the boat last year. It was a tragedy (laughs). The way we rowed this year is unmatched.
– Spinning in a circle?
I. Adamavičiūtė: There was everything. We were afraid to move in the boat (laughs).
K. Kralikaitė: There was really everything (laughs together).
– Is there anything clear about the future?
I. Adamavičiūtė: We don’t think anything now. You have to enjoy the moment, the Olympics.
– The medals were won by experienced competitors. How many years do you have to row together to reach your full potential?
I. Adamavičiūtė: I wouldn’t say timing is important. Quality and desire are more important.
K. Kralikaitė: Over time, you think less when you row. But as Ieva says, sometimes you can’t get a lot of time, but you can work with quality in a short time. We achieved a high result in the shortest possible time. Time is fun, but that’s it for now.
I. Adamavičiūtė: We had 7 weeks to prepare. Every day from the first training we thought that it was the last day and we had to make the most of it. Time is getting shorter and we are trying hard to make every training session as good as possible.
K. Kralikaitė: We sincerely devoted ourselves to work. Nothing mattered at that moment, just trying to catch myself, work together and get stronger, press on. Nothing else seems to have been in mind. On Thursday, there were no thoughts: “One day left – and vacation.” We were here and now to make the most of every second and not run away from the pressure. You work a lot and you need to learn to enjoy and be part of it. This is a big win.
It often takes a long time to get to the level where you don’t get scared and think that the holidays are coming soon.
You surrender to it and you are here and now. It shows what you are.
When we went to the start, we were even shaking, how we wanted to be there. We didn’t run away from it. You can drive boldly from the very first row, row at a pace you’ve never rowed before, spin a start like you’ve never done it before, reach the finish line like you’ve never done before. Psychology means a lot, especially in a competition like this where everyone comes in and knows it’s now, four years from now or never.
This is a very serious feeling for an athlete.
– Or maybe it’s easier when the period is so fast? You arrive year after year with immature expectations and start?
I. Adamavičiūtė: We individually prepare for a very long time. We are in very good physical shape. We only got into the boat to row together until 7 weeks. I agree with Kamila that we had no idea that another start would end. When it came to starting, we were glad that day came because we really wanted to compete and see where we were.
– On Saturday, Viktorija Senkutė will fight for the gold in the single row boat competition. You are both in boats with her. What can you say about her?
K. Kralikaitė: She is ready, she is brave. We know 100 percent that she will make her best start, as she has already shown. That’s what we wish for her, to be happy and be here and now. It passes quickly.
I. Adamavičiūtė: We did sports with her all summer, when Kamilė was not there, I worked with her. She is both physically and psychologically very well prepared.
K. Kralikaitė: Victoria and Eve are such an example that it doesn’t matter if there is support around you or not, but you can still squeeze out of yourself as much as you haven’t squeezed out yet.
After all, Victoria had a situation when she became unnecessary for rowing (Lithuanian Rowing Federation (LIF) had stopped funding, – ed.), and when Ieva had a hard time and some people turned away (2-year disqualification due to doping, – ed.), but there was of those who remained. And the point is that you push from your heart and soul, because you want to prove yourself, not to someone: to Juoz on the sofa, to your mother or to someone.
You want to prove to yourself that you are tough, that you worked, that you sacrificed your adolescence and your life in the best sense of the word. You didn’t sacrifice it just for yourself, but for the good.
It’s a lot of fun for both us athletes and spectators to watch when you see examples, when you squeeze out of yourself as much as no one believed. But it doesn’t matter to you that no one believed – the most important thing for you is to believe in yourself. At the start you will be with your thoughts and fighting against yourself, so this is very important.
2024-08-03 02:08:41