World Champ Coxswain Back In The Boat
http://www.voxy.co.nz/entertainment/world-champ-coxswain-back-boat/5/24903
Former NZ coxswain, Andy Hay has come out of retirement to cox the Oxford eight for this Sunday's Gallagher Great Race on the Waikato River.
Hay coxed the NZ eight to World Championship Wins in 1982 and 1983, went with the eight to the Olympics in LA in 1984 where they came fourth and steered the boat to a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh in 1986.
Hay retired in1988 and now leads a team of sporting journalists. Andy is the Sports Editor for ONE News, 6pm bulletin.
Earlier this month NZ Rowing put out a call asking for an experienced coxswain for the Oxford Boat in the annual rowing showdown against the University of Waikato.
"It was always a bit of a dream to cox in the boat race on the Thames so when NZ Rowing asked the other day, I thought that this is as close as I'll get," says Andy Hay.
"Oxford won the race against Cambridge on the Thames this year and it's basically the same crew that's come out to row against Waikato University, it's full of Olympic and World Championship medallists and it's been a blast getting back in a boat powered by top athletes and going that fast again"
Hay did have some reservations knowing that at age 45 he wasn't at his athletic peak. He only weighs 67kg but the preferred weight for a coxswain at this level is 55kg.
"I clearly got the job based on my past performance rather than my current physical fitness that comes from reporting on sport rather than playing it, there's no way I can lose 12 kg in 5 days so I guess they'll have to put some ballast in the Waikato boat".