Essen International Regatta 2009: Gold for ICBC cox Henry Fieldman for the U23 GB 8+ eased the pain of IC’s Danny Bellion, Henry Goodier, Josh Yerrell and Leo Carrington, who were defeated last weekend at the elite Essen International Regatta in Germany. The four have become the pride of Trapmore’s heart and have been elevated into celebrity status around the club. The crew were not expected to medal at the regatta but were instead sent to gain experience against top senior crews. They faced elite national squads and raced well offering promising hopes for the future. Trapmore (with no son’s to his name) has in recent weeks spent hours tweaking the crew in private outings with a view to getting the four onto the U23 GB squad next year. This would be a great test of their character and speed as the current U23 GB 4- was competing in the same race. But Bellion became suddenly and dramatically ill on the flight meaning Trapmore had to substitute for the race.
A witness, who must remain unnamed, has since contacted POD making sensational claims about the cause of the sudden onset of illness which was initially thought to be food poisoning. Bellion recalls feeling fine until dining at Giraffe’s restaurant at Heathrow airport before take-off. After ordering a fruit smoothie and onion rings (The Champion’s combination), Bellion fell ill displaying symptoms of extreme dizzyness and nausea. According to the source, just minutes before the meal Trapmore excused himself from the crew “to buy a newspaper.” The witness (a keen rowing fan) recognised Trapmore immediately and followed him into the bookstore. Just as the witness was about to approach his hero, Trapmore knelt down in a secluded section (rowing literature) and began to remove a vial of an unknown substance from his bag. Suddenly another customer appeared and Trapmore hastily packed up his things and left returning to the restaurant. It has been brought to POD’s attention that the vial contained a water sample from the Thames and was added to Bellion’s fruit smoothie thus rendering the youngster incapacitated. With only the five of them travelling there was no one else but ex-Olympic Strokeman Trapmore to replace the struck down rower, who coincidentally sat in the strokeseat.
Upon arriving in Germany it was quite late and Bellion was “well out of it”. They got a taxi to the hotel and went to their rooms; Bellion in isolation with Trapmore “concerned” the illness might spread. Although Bellion survived the trip it is thought that this was key to Trapmore’s plan: keeping Bellion away from other witnesses should he recover early and need another form of “quietening”. This is the latest stunt Trapmore has pulled since diagnosis of his mid-life crisis became public some weeks ago.
On Saturday morning there was no change to Bellion’s condition and Trapmore excitedly borrowed the afflicted rower’s lycra for his first 2 km race in five years. Due to the average age of the crew dramatically rising with the new crew member, they were only eligible to enter a senior category (SM 4- A). Seat two Leo Carrington was making the calls and could tell by 500 metres that Trapmore had blown. “1500 metres with dead weight... It was hard pulling him along.” The crew came fifth in 7:40.51, over forty seconds behind the next boat and nearly a minute behind the German heat winners (6:48.89).
With racing over and post-Olympic-gold illusions shattered, the crew and recovering Bellion went for dinner on Saturday evening. Carrington ordered a large 45 cm (18 inch) pizza for himself at which point the wide-eyed waitress exclaimed: “But that pizza is for three people!” “Yes, I know. I’ll have one of those please.” Between the five of them they ordered enough food for thirteen people and were shot disapproving glares from the London lightweights who spotted the gorging. ICBC were merely embracing the meaning of Essen: “the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food.”
Upon arriving in Germany it was quite late and Bellion was “well out of it”. They got a taxi to the hotel and went to their rooms; Bellion in isolation with Trapmore “concerned” the illness might spread. Although Bellion survived the trip it is thought that this was key to Trapmore’s plan: keeping Bellion away from other witnesses should he recover early and need another form of “quietening”. This is the latest stunt Trapmore has pulled since diagnosis of his mid-life crisis became public some weeks ago.
On Saturday morning there was no change to Bellion’s condition and Trapmore excitedly borrowed the afflicted rower’s lycra for his first 2 km race in five years. Due to the average age of the crew dramatically rising with the new crew member, they were only eligible to enter a senior category (SM 4- A). Seat two Leo Carrington was making the calls and could tell by 500 metres that Trapmore had blown. “1500 metres with dead weight... It was hard pulling him along.” The crew came fifth in 7:40.51, over forty seconds behind the next boat and nearly a minute behind the German heat winners (6:48.89).
With racing over and post-Olympic-gold illusions shattered, the crew and recovering Bellion went for dinner on Saturday evening. Carrington ordered a large 45 cm (18 inch) pizza for himself at which point the wide-eyed waitress exclaimed: “But that pizza is for three people!” “Yes, I know. I’ll have one of those please.” Between the five of them they ordered enough food for thirteen people and were shot disapproving glares from the London lightweights who spotted the gorging. ICBC were merely embracing the meaning of Essen: “the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food.”
On Sunday Bellion was feeling better and Trapmore had no further desire to race having been mocked by Oxford Brookes coaching staff after his race, with taunts along the lines of “washed up ex-Olympian” particularly hurting. He is believed to have cried. Bellion was just about OK to race but still reports feeling tired after rowing up to the start. Despite the disadvantage the crew raced hard and finished in 6:41.85, still last, but nearly a minute faster than the previous day. The IC rowers in fact led the GBR U23 crew for the first 750 metres before they were rowed through. The GBR U23 crew finished third in 6:19.81 behind France and Germany. Their average 2km ergo time is 6:06, 15 seconds quicker than the ICBC crew’s average. Having convincingly won his seat race over Trapmore, every member of the crew concurred that Bellion was a better strokeman.
German national and ICBC rower Ole Tietz was also competing at the regatta. Tietz recently came 11th overall in the lightweight long distance trials and 6th in his class. He was subsequently reassigned a senior pair’s partner and finished fifth in a regatta style trial beating members of the German lightweight coxless four. These results gained him a deserved place representing the German National Team at Essen in the second senior lightweight 4-. In Sunday’s final his crew finished fourth in 6:46.14, a painful 0.02 seconds away from a bronze medal position. Ole rejoined the IC crew back at the airport. “I can tell I’m back with Imperial, the Germans kept talking about doing each others mums.”
ICBC cox Henry Fieldman was also in action coxing the GBR U23 8+. The crew came second on Saturday behind the Polish Rowing Federation. They were disappointed with Sunday’s results finishing fourth (06:14.25) behind German winners in 06:09.31 but were less than three seconds off the senior Polish Rowing Federation crew and defeated the U23 Polish 8+ despite making mistakes that can be improved upon in the next race. Overall it was a useful experience for the crew.
Bellion rowed a total of 2 km over the weekend while back home the rest of the squad covered 50 kilometres in twenty foot wave conditions back and forth to Brentford Dock. Although our boysiders have yet to become mansiders, it is thought that the crew have learnt a hard lesson: Less stressen and more bench pressen. The conclusion of the weekend: the boat needs to get faster. They must now take a hard look at themselves and ask the question “Do I believe in IC?”
Christina Duffy