Romanian rowers make up mother of all teams

With Olympic medals in their cabinets and brilliant careers behind them, Romania's top women rowers decided years ago to go home and raise families.

With stunning displays of Olympic medals in their cabinets and brilliant careers behind them, Romania's top women rowers decided years ago to put away their oars, go home and raise families.

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But basking in the limelight of past glories was not enough.

Now nearly 40 years old, the mighty mothers are back, pushing their bodies and minds to the limit and determined to break records at the Athens Games next month.

"For me what's important is to win my sixth Olympics and get into the record books," said Elisabeta Lipa, one of the best rowers in history with four gold, two silver and one bronze medals in her 20-year Olympic career.

With a record rivaling that of Britain's Steve Redgrave, she announced her retirement following the Sydney Games after helping Romania to win one of their three rowing golds.

But in February 2003, Lipa, who will turn 40 in October, persuaded other retired colleagues to return to the training centre at the Snagov lake north of Bucharest for yet another go at an Olympic title.

Lipa put raising her six-year-old son and an office job with the police force on hold to help Romania qualify for the eight with coxswain event in Athens by taking second place at the world championships.

The Romanian Olympic Committee has pledged 50,000 euros for every gold medallist and a car is usually also thrown in.

At the run-down Snagov Olympic Sports Complex, where Romania's canoe and kayak teams also train, small Ford Ka cars emblazoned with the Sydney medallists' names in gold line the parking lot.

But the rowers said monetary rewards had little to do with their decision to come back.

"When I do this, I don't feel my age," said Lipa, deep wrinkles framing her bright eyes with every smile.

SYDNEY VETERANS

For Doina Ignat, 35, who had also retired to have a baby after three Olympic golds and one silver, the opportunity to compete again was just too tempting.

"I went away and I had a little girl. She will also be a rower. I will coach her myself to make her very determined," she said. "This is not about the money. It's about the prize."

Three Sydney veterans will compete in the eight, one of six women's events out of the 14 Olympic rowing categories. Two more, now training for another event, may yet join the eight.

For team coach Mircea Roman this would be great news.

"The younger rowers are not at the same level as the older ones who are very experienced," he said. "The older women are essential for the team to win the gold in Athens. Any coach would be glad to have them."

Roman said Lipa was an exceptional athlete, not only for her physical ability but also for her determination.

"She feels good and wants to show she's the best rower in the world. She has challenged her age and it seems that she will win," he said.

For all their successes, both Lipa and Ignat appeared puzzled when asked if they thought their careers would inspire young athletes or Romanian women in general.

Lipa also seemed unaware of her star status -- she is on the International Olympic Committee's heroes' list as the most decorated rower and shares Redgrave's record for most years between gold medals.

"Our sport is not so spectacular or popular. I don'think even in the United States rowers make a lot of money," she said, apparently ignorant of the sponsorship and advertising deals that would generate money for an athlete like her in the West.

GENERATION GAP

Lipa said there was a generation gap between the veterans and the younger athletes, mostly due to the historical changes that have swept Romania since the 1989 collapse of communism.

Both Lipa and Ignat were picked as teenagers from their villages in northern Romania for their height and physique despite the fact that they had never seen a lake.

Many young people drawn to sports during the harsh rule of communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu were seeking travel abroad and a comfortable standard of living for their families.

"Those who missed the Ceausescu period are not as determined as us. There is a big generation gap on our team in terms of mentality and motivation," Lipa said.

Lipa said her favourite Olympics were her first, in Los Angeles in 1984, where communist Romania participated in defiance of a Soviet-led boycott.

"I was young, the hosts were very nice to us because we were the only communist country participating and I won the gold in the double (sculls)," she said.

She said the toughest challenge of her comeback was leaving her son at home while she trained at Snagov: "He doesn't understand why I can't live at home."

And as for their husbands?

"They have two choices: to divorce us or to wait. They are waiting," Lipa said.