Who’s watching the rowing and umpire Mounier revealed

 Juan Antonio Samaranch, former President of IOC was there to see the racing.

King Carl Gustav and Queen Sylvia from Sweden came to see single sculler Lassi Karonen race. Karonen’s six month old son, Gustaf and his mum were also there cheering. Gustaf already has mastered the rowing grip when you give him your finger!

Sir Sebastian Coe: “I’m here to support the GB team but also in view of London 2012 as rowing is a very important sport for us. I am especially watching the venue management. The atmosphere is really good. The grandstands are packed as it was already yesterday for athletics where we had 81000 spectators on the first day.”

The personal counsellor of Nicolas Szarkozy, President of the French Republic as well as the State Secretary for Sport, Bernard Laporte and Guy Drut watched French success in the men’s four.

A number of members of the International Olympic Committee, IOC, came along. They included Ivan Dibos, He Zhenhang, Gerhard Heiberg and Hein Verbruggen (Chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission for the Beijing Olympic Games).

Great Britain’s Olympian, Princess Ann came on Friday 15 August and had lunch with the British team.
Bulgaria's President Georgi Parvanov and the President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee Stefka Kostadinova enjoyed the competition from the grandstands and watched Bulgaria win their first gold medal at these Olympic Games – Rumyana Neykova in the women’s single.

Shunyi briefs
Lots of activity in the boat area: there’s boat cleaning, some are rigging their boats, some are polishing them, and some are preparing their boats for the transport home. For some, the Olympic Games are over.

Julia Michalska (W1x, POL) had to have her shoulder checked out before racing in the final. She felt some discomfort during the semifinal and pain afterwards. But she remained positive. Michalska will go row in the University Rowing Championships in September and she says, “That regatta will be for the joy of rowing”.

It is a sunny day. Blue sky can be seen and the scenery looks very different and beautiful. For the first time when looking towards the start line, a line of mountains show clearly.

Max Mounier – Umpire of the men’s eight
Under the International Rowing Federation, FISA rules, an umpire has to retire from international level umpiring at 65 years old. French umpire, Max Mounier turns 65 in a couple of months. He has been given the honour of umpiring the men’s eight for his last international race. World Rowing talked to Mounier.

World Rowing: What is your background in rowing and umpiring?
Max Mounier: I started rowing quite late, as a junior in 1965. I lived in a region where there was no rowing. But my father, a teacher, was then transferred to Chalons sur Marne. I did not like football or basketball and tried rowing. I liked it and I still do. When I stopped rowing in 1971, because I had a family and could not invest the necessary time in training, a French umpire, Louis Patricot, approached me. He offered me the possibility to carry on in another way. I accepted. I sat my international licence in 1990 and have umpired at six FISA events up to now. These are my first Olympic Games … and the last ones!

WR: And how is it going?
MM: Fine, really fine. Everything is perfectly timed and that’s the most difficult part here. We had some small incidents but really nothing important. It’s more difficult to follow exactly all the rules, such as the timing imposed for TV broadcasting. The second thing is that you need to go through the complete hierarchy whenever something happens.

WR: What did you do here?
MM: I was at all positions except in the start zone: at the finish, on the water, control commission. In France I am very often at the start, so this makes a change.

WR: What is your best memory as an umpire?
MM: In Vaire sur Marne, during an international event. I still don’t understand what happened. I was at the weighing in and after the race two lightweight girls came and offered me the flowers they won! Exceptional, I was so moved. I really appreciate the contact with rowers and am convinced that if you respect them, you get it back!

WR: What will be your state of mind tomorrow at the start of the M8+ final?
MM: I don’t know how to express it. I feel so honoured to be the umpire of the final race of these Olympic Games. It’s unbelievable. In a way, it is ‘business as usual’, but I think I will pass a lot of things in review, will reflect on all that happened in my international career just before the start but as soon as the race will begin, I’ll be concentrated on the race itself.

WR: Who is on your mind here?
MM: When I arrived in Beijing, I thought of the late Louis Patricot. Adrien Hardy who impressed me so much during the World Championships in Lucerne (2001) and who is competing here is also on my mind. At the start, my thoughts will go to my wife who couldn’t accompany me and who has been so supportive during these 33 years that I have been involved in rowing. As an umpire, I’m away one weekend out of two!