Day 9 – Tue Aug 12

When the English language meets the Chinese language, I guess that is a pretty extreme clash.  In the pool yesterday whilst swimming, I noticed the signs at the end of the pool that said “ No D iving”.  I wondered why there was a gap between the D and the i.  On closer inspection of the signs, they had been made with “No Driving” and someone had scribbled out the r.   Quite funny really.

Anyway, an easy start to today.  Spent the morning catching up on all the Olympic results on the official Beijing web site.  Lunch and then off to the course.

We decided to watch only the k1M semi-final runs.  This is so that Heather has at least seen some boats going down the semi-final course, (which is different to the qualification course) without interfering with our thinking about the qualification course..

I get there in time to see most of the C1 men as well.  The stadium is pretty full today.  Both the US and UK paddlers do well and make it to the final.

In the K1 M the Brit doesn’t make it.  This has been a semi-final full of surprises with a number of the favourites not making it.  In the C1’s Estanguet the defending champion failed to make it to the final and in the K1M, Campbell Walsh, Kauzer and Kurt all fail to make it.  This re-inforces to us that the key to this course is to be smart and patient.  Don’t cut the lines between gates too much and make certain of the ups.  Also this is not a course to rush.

We leave and head back to the hotel without waiting for the finals.  Don’t want to get caught up in all the emotion of winners and losers, medals etc.  Need to keep calm and focussed.

I head in to Beijing to meet with Heather’s mum and family who should all have arrived.  I have to give them their tickets and talk them through tomorrow.  No cheering Heather’s name when she is on the start line, no talking to us if they see us etc.  All sounds a bit harsh but Heth and I now need to live inside our own little bubble for the next 48 hours of race days.  My job is to protect the boundary of the bubble, whilst Heather’s job is to perform inside it.

Heather’s mum tells me off for mis-directing her.  I told her to get off the train from the airport, at the first stop which would be about 15 minutes and was called SanyuanQiao.  She duly did this, but thought it was a bit quick.  Turned out she got off at the next terminal building and the train hadn’t left the airport yet.  She went through the barrier and had to pay again.  Quite funny and no damage done…..I took the rap anyway.

Heather’s mum is pretty nervous, which is another reason not to see Heather as the nerves would rub off.   I do feel for family on these occasions.  I will be nervous as hell when she races, but it is a world and an experience that I am used to.  I know that I cannot control anything and so my focus is really on dealing with the consequences of whatever happens in the run…good or bad…., whereas the family will just be plain nervous.

I find out that dave Florence, the Brit, wins a silver in the C1.  I was in the security queue with his dad, so I know both Dave and the whole family will be delighted.  Ben Fraker from the US comes 6th.  A great result for Ben and I am delighted for hi and his Coach, Kathy Hearn.

The K1M is won by Grimm (no not you Nic!!!!!), the young German.

I travel in to town by taxi to the airport and then on the express train from the airport to the city.  On the way back my taxi driver has no idea where to go.  I spend an hour and ten minutes in the taxi on a trip that takes 20 minutes.  He stops and asks directions about 5 times and eventually we pick a guy up on the side of the road, who has to hide his motorbike and get in the taxi to guide us to our destination.  To say that I was getting a little frustrated would be an understatement.  I felt a small amount of sorrow for the taxi driver, as he was obviously trying, but just wished he’d not picked me up in the first place, if he didn’t know where to go…….it took us 25 minutes to get off the airport.

Finally arrived back at the hotel and rest.  Have a beer and then settle down with Heth.  We watch a bit of TV and then bedtime.

Everything starts tomorrow.  Heathers running times are 15.52h and 17.34h China time.  UK 7 hours behind.  US 12 hours behind I think.

Nothing more we can do now.  No more training….no more talking….just a good night’s sleep and then the off.
Kind Regards
Geoff Parsons