T&T rower Felice Aisha Chow is looking forward to racing in the single skull C final today at 2:25pm (TT time) as she competes at the 2017 Rowing World Championships in Florida.
This is after Chow produced what she called her “best race ever” in the D2 semi final yesterday.
Chow crossed the line in seven minutes and 48.410 seconds to claim third place in her semi final which was won by Latvia in 7:46.570 with China third in 7:47.340.
“I am just so happy, this has been my best race ever. It has really been a stupendous experience because last year in Rio I was kind of competitive with some of the South American and Caribbean competition, but not really even coming close to the top tier which is like the Europeans, North Americans, New Zealand, Australia and China.”
Chow had a tough time in the preliminary rounds on Wednesday where she clocked almost identical times in the heats (7:59.620) and repêchage (7:59.640) races, placing 4th on each of those attempts before dropping more than 11 seconds in the semi final which she says is evidence that she is improving rapidly.
Speaking to Guardian Media Sports she said, “It has been amazing, I didn’t realize I could go so fast. The differential between me and the top tier is shrinking and it has only been a year since I’ve been seriously training.” said an elated Chow.
She added: “I never imagined I would be nipping so close at the heels. I am still chasing but I am getting close to those people. Today China beat me by one second in my semi but she won a bronze at Rio.”
The Rio 2016 rower revealed that her new-found confidence and increased level of performance is thanks mainly to the training from her new coach, Sarah Trowbridge who coached the United States’ doubles team to the Rio final.
She explained that Trowbridge’s training helped her remove self-doubt about whether she could sustain a high intensity over the full 2000m distance of her races which she plans maintain in today’s final after proving her capability to herself during her semi final.
“After Rio I got a new coach and she coaches the US and she’s also coaching me. She has been really fantastic and has professionalised my programme but I still am not training as much as the other athletes because I have a full time job. But the level of training I am at, even though the hours are still low, is a whole different level which I didn’t realise was physically possible.”
Chow added, “The results from today I think bode really well for the Caribbean Games and Panams. It has kind of opened my eyes that I can definitely go faster, I am now in that elite contention.”