Telegraph Journal - Tuesday, September 12, 2000

Ed Winchester

Event: Rowing spars, lightweight fours

Born: Dec. 16, 1970

Birthplace: Saint John

Years on national team: Five

Previous Olympics: This is his first Olympic experience.

Accomplishments: Two world championship medals; captured first place in lightweight pairs with teammate Ben Storey at world championships in Vienna last month.

Of note: Graduated Ryerson Journalism School. In addition to training he is writing special Olympic columns for the CBC Web site.

Kevin Barrett/Telegraph-Journal

Rothesay native Ed Winchester cringes when he thinks of sports cliches.

But in an online journal he's been writing, he said the journey toward the Olympic Games is what's the most important aspect for most elite athletes.

If that's the case, Winchester has experienced many ups and downs en route to Sydney, Australia, and the rowing competition.

He's overcome a career-threatening back injury, rebounded to fight for a berth at the Olympics and recently teamed with Ben Storey for a gold medal in the lightweight fours non-Olympic competition in Vienna, Austria.

However, as it stands, Winchester’s main role will be one of support and not competition as he serves as a spare for the men’s lightweight fours rowing team.

"I'll only see the light of if there is an injury," was frank assessment in his journal of experiences that started on the CBC Web site earlier this year. Winchester, a graduate of the Ryerson School of Journalism, is in his fifth year with the national team. His athletic journey has taken him around the globe racing for Canada. "Along the way, I've been outstanding, solid, mediocre and inconsistent," he writes. "Twice, I've stunk up the joint. I have two world championship medals and a slew of international appearances in the lightweight fours," he said, adding proudly, "but for the Olympics - maybe my only chance to make it on CBC without tape-delay - I've been named a spare." This time last year, he was recovering from a disturbing loss at the Pan Am Games, where his lightweight four boat finished fourth in a field of five. After that, Canada qualified for the Olympics in the event and the team selection essentially came down to the Canadian Olympic trials in Victoria last November. There, six tandems raced in doubles action for the four spots. Winchester and Storey finished third, 1.2 seconds behind lain Brambell and Chris Davidson and 3.2 seconds behind Jon Breare and Gavin Hassett. Although all six rowers were selected to a three-month training camp - when the Olympic team was announced, Storey and Winchester were penned in as spares. Winchester and Storey took top spot in the lightweight men's pair event at the FISA world rowing championships for non-Olympic boat classes. Since this is an Olympic year, only rowers in non-Olympic events competed in Vienna.