Broken Oars Podcast, Episode 21, The GB Team Selection Issue with Dr. Valery Kleshnev - a podcast by brokenoarspodcast

As we always say at these moments, we're back!

 

Given that's the case, a question might be raised as to why we actually say it. After all, you know it's us, you know we're back because another episode of arguably the world's greatest rowing podcast has just popped into your inbox.* Why do we feel the need to burst back onto the airwaves with all of the energy and brio of an over-sugared toddler?

 

Well, it's us. This is what we do.

 

Also, life, life events, work and other things have meant that for the first time in our short but illustrious history have meant that there has been a longer than usual gap between our last episode and this one.

 

But we're back, and we bring you a fantastic discussion with Dr. Valery Kleshnev. 

 

The founder, owner and driving force behind BioRow, Dr. Kleshnev is an Olympic silver medallist and World Championship bronze medallist. Following on from his elite-level competitive career, he carved out an outstanding reputation as a sports scientist, going on to work with the Australian Institute of Sport and the English Institute of Sport. His work focuses on the hows and whys of performance in order to make rowers and crews better and faster, using scientific analysis and feedback to achieve measurable results.

 

When British Rowing published the revised selection criteria for athletes on the GB Squad, Dr. Kleshnev was vocal in questioning these revisions.

We sat down with him to discuss the potential ramifications of these changes, resulting in a wide-ranging chat on a variety of topics. These include what these changes mean for selection policy; where the buck stops in British Rowing now; what good coaching actually looks like; how to blend a crew beyond looking at the data sets; the cyclical nature of performance, and whether British Rowing is reaching the end of its imperial phase; how all regimes pull down their monuments; why transparency and accountability are vital for HP programmes; and what boats are actually scientifically better than others, but how 'feel' can't be discounted.

 

A cracking, thought-provoking episode that proves once again that Broken Oars Podcast goes to the places other podcasts don't, possibly ill-advisedly if we ever want Leander to consider our membership ...

 

Bowside? Strokeside? Yes, none of us will ever work for British Rowing after this episode ...

 

(* we always argue that it is)

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