FRANCE: LONDON OLYMPICS 2012 - Algeria's only rower in final training for Olympics

Record ID: 574127

  • Title: FRANCE: LONDON OLYMPICS 2012 - Algeria's only rower in final training for Olympics
  • Date: 17th July 2012
  • Summary: NOGENT-SUR-MARNE, FRANCE (JULY 14, 2012) (REUTERS) ROWING CLUB "L'ENCOURAGEMENT" ON BANKS OF RIVER ALGERIAN ROWER AMINA ROUBA AND ALGERIAN NATIONAL ROWING COACH VINCENT TASSERY PREPARING SINGLE SCULL BOAT ROUBA LISTENING TO TASSERY TALKING TASSERY PREPARING BOAT ROUBA TALKING VARIOUS OF ROUBA PICKING UP SINGLE SCULL BOAT CARRYING IT TOWARDS RIVER VARIOUS OF ROUBA PUTTING BOAT INTO RIVER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ALGERIAN NATIONAL TEAM ROWER AMINA ROUBA SAYING: "The Olympic preparations have been a little difficult, both before the qualifying stages and after them. The qualifying stages were in Alexandria in Egypt in November. It was difficult because I have had a few injuries this year but the coach and people from the International Federation have helped me a lot so that I could train in good conditions. Because now, for example, the weather is hot in Algeria, so I had to come to France so I could train in moderate weather conditions, which are more suitable for my preparations. And also, the climate here is similar to the climate in Eton - the weather is cold and windy, so now I am training here in Paris." TASSERY ON MOTOR BOAT WITH ROUBA ROWING DURING TRAINING ROUBA ROWING (SOUNDBITE) (French) ALGERIAN NATIONAL ROWING TEAM COACH VINCENT TASSERY SAYING: "Amina will take it one race at a time. Her objective is to go through the stages one after the other and deliver the best possible performance. But to make a sporting comparison, it's like pitting Mike Tyson (American heavyweight boxing champion) against Brahim Asloum (French lightweight boxer and gold medalist at the 2000 Summer Olympics). The weight categories are completely different. She will race against girls who weigh 80 kilos, they are like me or even stronger. Amina is 56 kilos, she's a lightweight athlete with good qualities and a high level in her category. Now she will have to surpass herself in order to raise her level even more." ROUBA ROWING TASSERY IN SPEEDBOAT DURING TRAINING ROUBA ROWING BOAT MOVING THROUGH WATER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ALGERIAN NATIONAL TEAM ROWER AMINA ROUBA SAYING: "In a week's time I will be at Eton to participate in the Olympic Games. It's my dream, and the dream of every athlete, to take part in the Olympics and now, thank God, I have realised the dream." VARIOUS OF ROUBA AND TASSERY DURING TRAINING SESSION
  • Embargoed: 1st August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAAAWAE08JDAYQZ51GQHSY7RY4P
  • Story Text: Algeria's rowing hopes for the Olympics rest on one woman's shoulders as Amina Rouba prepares to represent her country at the London Games.
    On the outskirts of Paris, the 26-year-old is putting in some last-minute training and preparing to live out her dream.
    By July 28, she will be racing against the best rowers in the world in the women's single sculls event.
    Born and bred in Algeria, Amina Rouba was discovered and nurtured by the International Rowing Federation and her titles include a fifth position in the 2011 Hamburg rowing world cup.
    Rouba has spent the last few months travelling round Europe to participate in rowing events in order to measure herself against other strong rowers and prepare herself for the London Games.
    "The Olympic preparations have been a little difficult, both before the qualifying stages and after them. The qualifying stages were in Alexandria in Egypt in November. It was difficult because I have had a few injuries this year but the coach and people from the International Federation have helped me a lot so that I could train in good conditions. Because now, for example, the weather is hot in Algeria, so I had to come to France so I could train in moderate weather conditions, which are more suitable for my preparations. And also, the climate here is similar to the climate in Eton - the weather is cold and windy, so now I am training here in Paris," she said.
    Weighing only 56 kilos, the Algerian will have a tough fight on her hands. Unlike the world championships, where rowing is divided into lightweight and heavyweight, at the Olympics there's only one category. That means Rouba will be racing against rowers who are far more muscular and powerful than she is.
    Training her is Algerian national rowing coach Vincent Tassery, a former French rower who is trying to promote the profile of Algerian rowing.
    "Amina will take it one race at a time. Her objective is to go through the stages one after the other and deliver the best possible performance. But to make a sporting comparison, it's like pitting Mike Tyson (American heavyweight boxing champion) against Brahim Asloum (French lightweight boxer and gold medalist at the 2000 Summer Olympics). The weight categories are completely different. She will race against girls who weigh 80 kilos, they are like me or even stronger. Amina is 56 kilos, she's a lightweight athlete with good qualities and a high level in her category. Now she will have to surpass herself in order to raise her level even more," said Tassery after a training session on the river Marne, east of Paris.
    For Rouba, the idea of rowing at Eton's Dorney Lake near London in the most prestigious of all competitions still seems unreal.
    "In a week's time I will be at Eton to participate in the Olympic Games. It's my dream, and the dream of every athlete, to take part in the Olympics and now, thank God, I have realised the dream," she said.
    Algeria has had only one other Franco-Algerian woman rower, Samia Hireche, who went to the Atlanta games in 1996. The difference for her was that she was trained in France and not in Algeria.
    Amina Rouba is set to race on July 28, and hopes to make it all the way through to the final women's single sculls medal events on August 4.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Video restrictions: parts of this video may require additional clearances. Please see ‘Business Notes’ for more information.
Register