07 Dec 2011
Top 10 rower Steve Williams is doing it again
The new look British men’s four with rowers Peter Reed, Alex Partridge, Steve Williams and Andrew Triggs-Hodge win gold at the 2005 Rowing World Cup in Eton.
Crossing the line a mere fraction ahead of Canada in the men’s four at the Athens Olympics placed Great Britain’s Steve Williams into rowing’s history books. Being the sole remaining rower from that four put Williams on the top 10 list of male rowers for 2005 and also made him the only British representative on the list.
Recently back from a training camp in Spain, Williams is in the middle of a light day of exercise: two water sessions (20 to 24 kilometres for each) and a weights workout. He has just enough time to squeeze in a quick interview before heading off to his next session.
A full time athlete since finishing his university degree in History and Town Planning, Williams, 29, says it took him a long time to decide his future in rowing after Athens and whether to commit through to the Beijing Olympics.
His decision found him back in the four and heading for gold at the 2005 World Rowing Championships.
So what made Williams return to this rigorous training regime after already being awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire) for services to sport and winning Olympic gold?
?I wanted to do it again. When I was a kid I always looked up to people like Steve Cram and Sebastian Coe and now I know it captured my imagination ? doing it again and again.?
All eyes were on the four in 2005 to see if they could step into the shoes of the Athens four which contained rowing stars Sir Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell. Williams with the new crew of Peter Reed, Alex Partridge and Andy Hodge did it in style by winning every international race of the season.
Williams says the post-Athens Olympics four has a different feel to the Athens four. ?But it’s not as different as some may think,? says Williams. ?The two big personalities are no longer there. We don’t have a team captain, it’s not that kind of culture, instead we have an equal share in team decisions. But the feel is similar – we’re all very competitive.?
Williams says the training has remained much the same. ?Obviously the training moves on, so the intensity has developed, but nothing dramatically has changed. It just gets harder.?
Related Links
Steve Williams’ rowing record
2005 Top 10 male rowers