Junior Women's National Sculling Team: AMERICA AMERICA! U-S-A!

It's been almost six days since we arrived in London to race at the Junior World Championships. Six days of time-adjusting, trying to nap in order to time-adjust, trying not to nap in order to time-adjust, healthy eating, boat weighing, boat rigging, boat rowing, drill rowing, hard rowing, flashy rowing, windy rowing, smooth rowing, water drinking, crappy exchange-rating, bus waiting, bus riding, people-meeting, picture taking, flag waving, anthem singing... I could go on.

Even though it's been six days, the Championships were not officially open until last night-- It's custom that before any World Championship event Junior all the way up to Olympic, the host country will throw a ceremony to welcome all the visiting countries to the venue. Yesterday, the entire US team joined all the other countries in the center of the RoyalHolloway to watch the progression of the flags, listen to the FISA director, successfully out-cheer everyone, and watch a "surprise" performance by the "Tenors and Divas Incognito". Aside fromthe strip teasing and

step-kicks from who we thought were a respectable school official, a bag check attendee, and Gary the owner of boys New Milford house-- it was a fun, and very British way to open the event.

We then got up early for our last pre-race row. I'll start off by saying that training at the course is a much different experience than rowing anywhere else. There's a lot of small battles that go on up and down the practice lanes- you are always being watched by someone, either biking along the shore, or in the boat next to you. Today I launched around the same time as the JW2x and 1x from Greece, and did all I could, not only to space out my oar puddles and look good, but to avoid staring at their coach screaming corrections in very harsh Greek between cigarette puffs. And from what I've seen, coaches should pass some kind of test before being allowed to ride the spiffy white BMW-made course bikes. Just as a general precaution to rowers, spectators, and mostly themselves.

We rode back to the Holloway with a very pro-Rihanna bus-driver, learned that with the Germans, where there's one, there's probably fifty more, took a VERY nice nap, then went to eat lunch (good as always)-- that catches you up to right now, as we're all just sitting in the flat waiting to find out lane draws, and for the 3 o'clock bus to the course. This is the first day of heats for the quad-- so remember to check online!! Their race goes off a little after 1pm EST. As always the other scullers will be there for moral support!

I'll try and update daily to keep everyone up on what's going on! HEATS DAY ONE!! And as the poster the sweep coaches posted next to the bus schedule says, NO REGRETS!!

Thanks to everyone as always for the support-- Let's go USA!!