For any athlete, the Olympic appeal is irresistible. In rowing, it's typically indicated as a bunch of legendary veteran rowers gave up the idea of retirement to back the arena at the Munich Rowing World Championships.
The rowers like Kathrin Boron, James Tomkins, Eslild Ebbesen, Derek Porter and Rumyana Neykova get nothing to prove, but the Olympic love-knot pulled them back to the Munich rowing worlds, which is currently under way and will last to September 2. They came here for nothing but the Olympic berths.
Boron, 37, from Germany, has eight world championships golds and four Olympic golds. Tomkins, 42, from Australia, with seven world championship golds and three Olympic golds, attends men's eight.
Ebbesen, 35, from Denmark, with six world championship golds and two Olympic golds, comes to lighweight men's four. Porter, 39-year-old Canadian, keeps one world championship gold and two Olympic medals, one of them gold, back to the men's double sculls.
Neykova, 34 years old from Bulgaria, earns two world championship golds and two Olympic medals, back in the women's single sculls.
All of them in their mid-thirties to early fourties, but the Olympic alluring pulls them back to face the pain of intensive training.
"Having something to aim for, having something you really want to do, having dreams is what gives life meaning," says Ebbesen. " For me, the dream of going to the Olympics and winning medals have given me some intensive years and satisfaction."
"I think it is important for people to go after something they really want."
Neykova's comeback has everything to do with that elusive gold medal. Her intentions are clear: "the challenge is Beijing."
In order to make it, she resumed training after becoming a mother for the second time a few months ago. Neykova's whole family seems supportive of her sporting urge. Her husband Svilen coaches her and her parents care for their two children.
Source: Xinhua
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