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The Star: September 15, 2016

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18 Thursday <strong>September</strong> <strong>15</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

follow us on facebook.com/riseupchristchurch<br />

<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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