Part II - NURIA FITTER THAN BEFORE OLYMPICS 25 May 2009
World Rowing’s Athlete of the Month, Nuria Dominguez is currently preparing for the first Rowing World Cup of the year which will be held in her home country, Spain, at Lake Banyoles, the 1992 Olympic regatta venue. Nuria says she is fitter than before the Beijing Olympics. Find out why. World Rowing: How are you preparing for the Rowing World Cup in Banyoles?
Nuria Dominguez: We are all training in training camps in Banyoles since the 17th of May. Even though I will compete in the same type of boat I train in, it is good that I have time to adapt to the boat I am rowing and going to compete in at the World Cup and it is much better to train with a coach. WR: What has been your hardest day this month?
ND: It would have been the first days of May, due to the training load and because I was not feeling well. WR: Do you feel expectations are high for you in Banyoles, as you are one of the top Spanish rowers?
ND: I am not sure, don't think about it. But I think that the lightweight women’s double and lightweight men’s single should do well. WR: What will it be like to race in front of a home crowd compared to racing in other countries?
ND: I have good memories of the World Rowing Championship in Seville because we had good results. But if results are not good when racing at home, it is hard to deal with. I hope I do well and give people a good feeling with a Spanish victory. WR: Who do you think your main competition will come from (in the women’s single)?
ND: I am not sure, I am not sure how fast I will go and know even less about the rest of the field. WR: How would you rate your fitness compared to before the Beijing Olympics?
ND: I have trained more and better. I hope I can show it on the water. WR: You talked about the new training plans that have motivated you to keep rowing this year. What are the new plans?
ND: The new coach inspires lots of confidence, and I believe he will help us improve our performance. WR: Do you have much to do with the rest of the Spanish team?
ND: I feel part of the team, even though I row in a single. At home I train with my partner, he rows the lightweight men’s single. When rowing at training camps all the boats row together. WR: Do you have any pre-race rituals?
ND: Not really, I concentrate and try to visualise the race for a few minutes prior to the race. WR: What are your rowing goals for this year?
ND: The objective would be to be in the top eight at the World Champs (in the women’s single). I would also like to obtain a medal at the Mediterranean Games. PART I - NURIA'S ROWING LIFE 5 May 2009
At the end of this month the first Rowing World Cup of 2009 goes to Banyoles, Spain. World Rowing tracks down Spain’s top female rower and looks behind the scenes of life as a Spanish rower.
World Rowing: How did you initially get involved in rowing?
Nuria Dominguez: When I was 14 years old a friend took me to a school rowing meeting. I saw on TV the Oxford/Cambridge boat race. I did not know rowing was an option in Seville. I wanted to be fit so I gave it a go. I was physically active, but rowing is the first sport I took seriously. No other family member has rowed except my mother in Malaga would occasionally row in fishing boats on the open sea.
WR: Are you a full time athlete?
ND: Rowing at a competitive level requires a full time commitment. I finished physiotherapy in 2000, did only a year of postgraduate studies and worked for a short time.
WR: Where are you based in Spain?
ND: I live in Tui, a small city in the province of Pontevedra, Spain.
WR: What is your training day like at present?
ND: Two daily sessions, either rowing or gym work.
WR: You have been rowing internationally since 1991, what motivates you to keep going in the sport at the top level?
ND: What motivates me is that I think I can still do better, a personal goal.
WR: Your first Olympics was as a lightweight rower in the double, what made you change to the heavyweight women’s single?
ND: It was too stressful to be a lightweight. I did not recognize myself in the mirror, even my character changed.
WR: You took a break from international rowing after the 1996 Olympics. What was the reason for this?
ND: It was a bad experience. I did not have fun at the Olympic Games. The following year’s training was a drag. I had lost confidence and motivation so I decided to develop myself in Physiotherapy and started that in 1996. In that year I was not included in the Spanish team due to a femur fracture.
WR: At the Athens Olympics you became the first woman Spanish rower to make an Olympic final, was this recognised in Spain?
ND: Yes
WR: Is there much interest in rowing in Spain?
ND: I am not sure what to say, but there are less people willing to sacrifice other things in life, and commit to rowing.
WR: It seems that the number of elite women rowers in Spain is quite small. Do you have people that you train with?
ND: My partner is a rower, I feel lucky about that. We train together, but don't have a coach at home. When I lived in Seville I trained with other female lightweight national team rowers.
WR: Are there any single scullers that can compete with you in Spain?
ND: In the single I felt challenged by a South African, she beat me in the last regatta. But I’m not challenged by any Spanish female rower.
WR: What was the main difference for you between competing in Athens and Beijing?
ND: In Athens I need to seize the chance even though I knew I was not at my best. But in Beijing, I did not have that pressure. I was aware of my limits and enjoyed the competition.
WR: Do plan to race this year?
ND: I thought that after Beijing I would stop, but I am very motivated due to the new training plans and organisation behind it. | 
Webside Associates SA