The Star: September 15, 2016
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18 Thursday <strong>September</strong> <strong>15</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />
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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong><br />
Our People<br />
World champion rower has eye<br />
Jack Lopas has just<br />
returned from the<br />
World Rowing Junior<br />
Championships with<br />
a gold medal hanging<br />
around his neck, and he is<br />
straight into NCEA study.<br />
Bridget Rutherford spoke<br />
to him about beating his<br />
crewmate at Maadi Cup,<br />
and holding the unofficial<br />
national record for his<br />
2km ergometer<br />
So you’ve just won gold in the<br />
double sculls – how does it feel<br />
to be a world champion?<br />
I’ve actually been asked that a<br />
lot, but it’s kind of hard because<br />
it doesn’t really feel that much<br />
different. It’s a funny feeling<br />
thinking you’re the top in the<br />
world in your event.<br />
Can you run me through the<br />
race?<br />
It was really rough at race<br />
time, so we had to take that into<br />
account. We’ve always been a bit<br />
slower off the start, so we just<br />
stuck to our guns and focused<br />
on our middle kilometre. We<br />
took the lead in the third 500m<br />
just after the 1km mark, which is<br />
where we wanted that to happen.<br />
What was running through<br />
your mind at the start line, were<br />
you nervous?<br />
I was the most nervous in the<br />
heats because you don’t know<br />
what to expect. I was a bit shaky,<br />
and with the rough conditions<br />
it was another thing resting on<br />
your mind.<br />
What about when you crossed<br />
the finish line?<br />
It was a huge relief for all that<br />
stress to be over and not having<br />
to worry about the result. It<br />
was a pretty unreal feeling. It’s<br />
painful during the race but after<br />
winning you feel like it wasn’t<br />
too bad and it was all worth it.<br />
Did you have a bit of a chance<br />
to catch up with some of the<br />
competitors from the other<br />
countries you were racing afterwards?<br />
ACHIEVEMENT: Jack Lopas, 17, has represented New Zealand<br />
in rowing twice and hopes to compete at the Olympics.<br />
PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN<br />
We caught up with the Italy<br />
and Germany crews on the<br />
podium, and you have a big shirt<br />
swap with the other countries.<br />
A lot of them will return to<br />
other world champs. I talked to<br />
a couple of guys from last year<br />
as well.<br />
So this is your second year of<br />
competing at juniors?<br />
Yep, I was in the reserve double<br />
last year. We still raced and got<br />
second in the B final. It was<br />
good motivation to come back<br />
this year, and it makes it a lot<br />
easier racing once you’ve done<br />
it already. You have a bit more<br />
experience.<br />
When did you begin rowing?<br />
I started at the end of third form.<br />
I’ve done four years of it now.<br />
So you were at Lincoln<br />
High School before shifting<br />
to Christchurch Boys’ High<br />
School, why the shift?<br />
It was for the rowing – I was<br />
GOING FOR GOLD: Jack Lopas and Lenny Jenkins racing in the<br />
World Rowing Junior Championships.<br />
PHOTO: ROWING NEW ZEALAND<br />
the only rower at Lincoln, so I<br />
was doing it once a week down<br />
at Kerrs Reach with one other. I<br />
started at boys’ high in 2013 – in<br />
year 10. My mum and dad both<br />
rowed and I have a couple of<br />
uncles who did, and my granddad<br />
rowed for New Zealand. So<br />
I thought I might do it. I enjoyed<br />
doing it by myself, but I felt like<br />
I needed to be doing it with a<br />
group. My parents both rowed<br />
at club level and got a couple of<br />
national medals.<br />
And you would have been to a<br />
couple of Maadi Cups, how did<br />
you go in those?<br />
I’ve been to three. I didn’t<br />
make Maadi in my first year. But<br />
in my first season competing<br />
I got a bronze in the under-16<br />
quadruple sculls and then the<br />
next year I got silver in the<br />
under-17 double sculls, under-17<br />
quadruple sculls and in the<br />
under-18 quadruple sculls. In my<br />
last season this year, I got gold<br />
in the under-18 single, double<br />
and quad, and a bronze in the<br />
under-18 eight.<br />
At Maadi the under-18 eights<br />
are the big races to win – which<br />
medal did you enjoy winning<br />
the most?<br />
I think the quad. I was the<br />
most excited after winning it<br />
because it’s a group of four mates<br />
who train together the whole<br />
season.<br />
What’s your favourite boat to<br />
race?<br />
I’d say the double; I’ve always<br />
clicked in the double.<br />
And you’re the national record<br />
holder for your age group<br />
for the 2km erg, that’s pretty<br />
impressive, what was your<br />
time?<br />
I don’t know if it’s actually<br />
official, but I pulled 5min 57sec.<br />
I’ve always progressed with<br />
each erg, I’ve never gone<br />
backwards.<br />
You beat Olympic champion<br />
Hamish Bond’s time didn’t you?<br />
I pulled faster than Hamish<br />
Bond’s time when he was my<br />
age. I think Eric Murray and<br />
Hamish Bond pull around the<br />
5min 42sec mark.<br />
Do you remember what your<br />
very first erg was in your novice<br />
season?<br />
It was 7min 50sec. I wouldn’t<br />
say the 2km erg is the worst part<br />
of rowing, but it’s not very enjoyable.<br />
It gets blown up to be such<br />
a big thing.<br />
So you’re from Little River<br />
aren’t you?<br />
Yes, I live about 4km from the<br />
township on a lifestyle block. I<br />
actually went into Little River<br />
School when I got back, because<br />
my mum teaches there and had<br />
been keeping the kids updated.<br />
I went in and had a chat to all<br />
the kids and took in my medal. I<br />
went there from year 1-8, and my<br />
younger brother is still there.<br />
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