Bill Davoren on a golden day
Monday, 18 August 2008 07:58
While Australian Triathlon Head Coach Bill Davoren found himself cheering from the sidelines, his charges set about creating history. The team is now one step closer to fulfilling the A+ scenario at the Beijing Olympic Games - the Olympic Tri double. With both Emma Snowsill and Emma Moffatt doing the business in the women's race today, the Australian is over the first hurdle. With the men set to race tomorrow, the biggest challenge lies ahead. We spoke to Bill in the midst of Gold and Bronze medal euphoria.
Congratulations Bill on a brilliant day for Australian triathlon.
Thanks. It was a good day for us, exactly the day we were looking for. It worked out very well. We were sort of hoping it was going to be a running race and conditions were hot and quite humid. We were hopeful for two medals and thought we had a realistic chance for two. It's always difficult to win two (medals) at this level of competition though, so we were pretty pleased.
Before the race, you said you wanted it hot and windy.. did you get that?
Yeah, though it was probably not as hot as we would have liked it to be, but it certainly was challenging. The conditions reinforced our thinking about different body shapes and the need for little bodies on this type of course in these conditions.
How were the girls before the race, any nerves?
Everyone was nervous! I think it's only natural in this environment. I said it a couple of times today, an Olympics comes along about once every 1300 hundred days, and you've got a two hour window that starts at 10am and if you don't get it right no one cares. So the challenge is to be right at 10am on that exact day. So the girls were nervous and edgy, the staff were nervous and edgy. It's just that freakish sort of environment, it's hard to explain to people. You can't really prepare for it until you've done it and been involved in it and experienced it.
What was it like as a coach watching it all unfold? What do you do during the race?
We had five coaches out on the course on radios, stationed at various points around the course. I spent the race in close proximity to Craig Walton (Emma Snowsill's coach) and Shaun Stevens (Emma Moffatt's coach), the two personal coaches involved in the medals, throughout the bike and the run. Our first aim was to see the two girls (Snowsill and Moffatt) get out of the water in the front group and we knew that, so box number one was ticked.
We hoped Erin (Densham) would make the back from the chase pack, which unfortunately she didn't. We then knew that Erin wouldn't chase and wouldn't add any oomph to the chase pack, which was box number two ticked. So the two girls didn't have any fear of Kate Allen (defending gold medallist) being brought forward by anyone.
Then with the bike ride it was pretty clear that the Swiss were trying to hurt as many people as they possibly could on various sections of the course. But on the long downhill on the back of the course, we knew the girls would be pretty safe. The main aim was to keep relaxed on the bike and in good position, which they both did all day. They were constantly getting feedback from various coaches as to how they were going.
Then it was shoes off, helmets off and run like the wind and Snowy (Snowsill) delivered that. Moffy (Moffatt) was a bit conservative through the early part and then obviously went on to get the bronze.
Are you barracker? Do you get excited during a race?
I did today! I must admit Craig (Walton) and I were very close and it was very special moment for Craig, to share that after having been Craig's coach at the Sydney Olympics eight years ago. The three of us shared a special moment after the race that I will remember forever. So yes I was into it. My Dad said he saw me on the TV giving Emma a serve, so I was pretty full on into them.
And Densham as well. Let's not forget Erin's day. She gave it 100%. I know she feels disappointed at the moment, but she'll benefit so much from that and she absolutely gave it everything. She had a viral illness four weeks ago that knocked her for six and it really did dent her preparation. We hoped for a top 15 and she finished 22nd. But my message to her is that she has had an amazing experience and will have learnt a lot.
Did you get any Athens flashbacks when Snowsill was off the front in the run? (in Athens, Austria's Kate Allen ran down a Loretta Harrop's lead to win in the final 300m)
Actually no I didn't. I looked at Emma on the first lap and thought this is going to be interesting. But I've got the utmost confidence in Snowy - she's tough. Then when she (Snowsill) came around the second time at the back of the course she was cruising. She even looked at me and acknowledged and Craig (Walton) felt comfortable, so it was just going to be a matter of how far.
At one point she got sent the wrong way by the officials. Did you see that?
I didn't see it, so I don't know too much about that. I was making my way from the back of the course and didn't even see her finish.
Overall, do you think her win has benefitted Triathlon Australia's High Performance Program?
Well I think it has - I've been asked that question several times. There are a lot of critics, a lot of experts in triathlon. I don't think I have to say anything. There's nothing to be said.
And now you line up for the men's race tomorrow? How are the guys? (Courtney Atkinson and Brad Kahlefedlt)
That's the next challenge. The blokes are nervous as well. Both have had their own challenges in their own way in the last 12 months. They're going to get in the mix and give it 100%. You could finish eighth here and have the best race of your life. We'll come back and have another crack tomorrow. Our dream would be to be on the podium again.
Good luck!
Thanks to Bill for his time throughout the Olympic campaign.
