The Evening Times Globe, Saint John, N.B., February 26, 1985

Ratcliffe

Keith Ratcliffe has done the Soviets one better in preparing New Brunswick's rowing team for the Canada Summer Games. The Russians, you see, are notorious for their "Five Year Plan" ideology in matters economic, political and athletic.

Ratcliffe's mission -- the assembly of a competitive men's and women's rowing team by the August 11 opening of the Canada Games in Saint John -- will be accomplished with a blueprint that goes back four years.

"We started recruiting people from the junior high schools four years ago," said the London, England native who be- came involved in the Renforth Rowing Club more than a decade ago now.

"We looked for tall kids, athletic kids ... kids with what we felt would be Canada Games potential. We've had kids coming and going in that time, but we've got about 30 kids still under consideration for the team."

Ratcliffe believes diligence in identifying the talent and having them train under his tutelage for the past three years will pay off come August.

Rowing, you see, has not been part of the agenda for the past three Canada Summer Games. It's been an alternate sport since they were held in Burnaby, B.C. in 1971. So, given the fact that the sport has been relatively dormant among the youngsters in most provinces, Ratcliffe believes "we've got a better chance than most. I think the worst situation we could find ourselves in is fourth place overall in points. I can see three possible medals for us," he said. "I don't know if that's realistic or not."

The top three spots, Ratcliffe believes, will likely go to Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec, in that order, simply because their population pools and the fact that rowing pro- grams exist at some private schools in those provinces means the selection process is relatively easy.

By comparison, New Brunswick has just two rowing clubs, in Renforth and Fredericton, and limited numbers from which to draw. So it's been relatively easy to get down to the 30 rowers -- 15 men and 15 women -- Who are, still in contention for the 26 member team.

They've all been to the national rowing championships in Montreal the past two years, and the final complement of athletes will be going again two weeks before the Games.

"We'll have our final selection camp in June," said Ratcliffe, who must be conscious of the fact that, due to the limitations that allow only 13 men and 13 women to compete for the province, most of his athletes will have to double up for competition in the seven men's and six women's events that comprise the rowing competition at the Games.

The athletes are fairly evenly divided between Fredericton and Renforth rowing addresses, but Ratcliffe has them in the gym twice a week now, working on circuit training, running and rowing machines. That will increase to four or five times a week in the near future, and "as soon as the ice is out of the river," then the team will be out as well.

"When we get down to the river, it will be training six days a week, and sometimes twice a day," he said.

The only competition prior to the Games themselves will be a local regatta, the nationals in Montreal at the Olympic basin, and perhaps one in Philadelphia on the July 4 Independence Day weekend. That's by design, since Ratcliffe wants a peak performance from all his athletes at the Canada Games.

If he gets that -- and if they avoid injuries -- he believes: "fourth place is a realistic for us."