Syracuse head coach Kris Sanford (left) with Olympic silver medalist Helen Tanger (right).
Off the Water with 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist Helen Tanger - Part I
10/22/2008 10:02:55 AM | Women's Rowing
Former Orange rower and 2008 Olympic medalist Helen Tanger was back in Syracuse earlier this week. She was in town to visit with her former coach, Kris Sanford. She also attended practice and spoke to the 2008-09 squad about her Olympic experience in Beijing and how being part of the rowing team at Syracuse helped her achieve her goals in and out of the water.
Tanger was a member of the Netherlands eight that won the silver medal, finishing 1.88 seconds behind the U.S. gold medal-winning shell that featured former SU All-American Anna Goodale. For Tanger, it was her second Olympic medal. She also helped the Netherlands to the bronze at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens.
During her visit, Tanger sat down with SUathletics.com to share some of her Olympic experiences and her memories of her time at Syracuse:
On her Olympic experience in Beijing:
“It was just incredible. I mean the Chinese really made a very good effort to organize the best Games they could and the Olympic village was so nice. We all had apartments and it was very luxurious. We had an eight-person apartment with three bathrooms which was very nice and there was a huge dining hall where you could grab like any food you would like to have. That was really great, and it looked amazing. There were Chinese volunteers and they all spoke English. It was very convenient. My Chinese is not that good (laugh). The rowing course was just fantastic. They had an entire separate warm-up area, which was very convenient for races.”
“It was just incredible. I mean the Chinese really made a very good effort to organize the best Games they could and the Olympic village was so nice. We all had apartments and it was very luxurious. We had an eight-person apartment with three bathrooms which was very nice and there was a huge dining hall where you could grab like any food you would like to have. That was really great, and it looked amazing. There were Chinese volunteers and they all spoke English. It was very convenient. My Chinese is not that good (laugh). The rowing course was just fantastic. They had an entire separate warm-up area, which was very convenient for races.”
On how she spent her time away from the water during the Olympics:
“Well, I rested a lot. Leading up to the first races the practices are not that hard and you don’t do that much mileage and you don’t do two practices a day. So, we were just making sure we were well-rested and getting ready for the first race. I basically watched a lot of movies and went on the Internet. We had the Internet in our apartment which was nice. I chatted online with my friends.”
“Well, I rested a lot. Leading up to the first races the practices are not that hard and you don’t do that much mileage and you don’t do two practices a day. So, we were just making sure we were well-rested and getting ready for the first race. I basically watched a lot of movies and went on the Internet. We had the Internet in our apartment which was nice. I chatted online with my friends.”
On if she went site-seeing:
“When we were done with racing I did. I went to the Great Wall with my family and my boyfriend. That was really nice to do. And I went to the Forbidden City. I went there and there were so many people there. I was going crazy. It was so crowded.”
“When we were done with racing I did. I went to the Great Wall with my family and my boyfriend. That was really nice to do. And I went to the Forbidden City. I went there and there were so many people there. I was going crazy. It was so crowded.”
On the Great Wall:
“It’s very impressive. The part where I went there’s a lot of hills so you could see the wall going over all the hills and we walked for about a mile over the hills against the wall. We didn’t want to walk too much because it was very warm. But it was just incredible. It’s incredible that it’s still there after so many years.”
“It’s very impressive. The part where I went there’s a lot of hills so you could see the wall going over all the hills and we walked for about a mile over the hills against the wall. We didn’t want to walk too much because it was very warm. But it was just incredible. It’s incredible that it’s still there after so many years.”
On if she spent time with teams or athletes from other countries:
“I met up with Anna (Goodale). There are always good interactions between teams within the field of rowing. Rowers are very social people. When we were done with racing we liked to go out and do things with each other and have a lot of fun. I did meet up with rowers from other teams. It was nice to do. I know Anna and I know Caryn Davies, the stroke from the U.S. women’s eight. They like to hang out. Actually the Dutch, we always have our own place where we can together. People from other countries can go there as well. There were a lot of people from New Zealand and England who came to what we called our house in Beijing. It was a lot of fun."
“I met up with Anna (Goodale). There are always good interactions between teams within the field of rowing. Rowers are very social people. When we were done with racing we liked to go out and do things with each other and have a lot of fun. I did meet up with rowers from other teams. It was nice to do. I know Anna and I know Caryn Davies, the stroke from the U.S. women’s eight. They like to hang out. Actually the Dutch, we always have our own place where we can together. People from other countries can go there as well. There were a lot of people from New Zealand and England who came to what we called our house in Beijing. It was a lot of fun."
On her relationship with Anna Goodale:
“When we are at regattas we always meet after the races and see each other. Usually in Lucerne and at the World’s we see each other. The first time I met was her was in 2005. We were both at the world championship in Japan. That was the first time I met her. It’s always good to see somebody from Syracuse.”
“When we are at regattas we always meet after the races and see each other. Usually in Lucerne and at the World’s we see each other. The first time I met was her was in 2005. We were both at the world championship in Japan. That was the first time I met her. It’s always good to see somebody from Syracuse.”
On if she met Michael Phelps:
“I actually did see him from a distance. But there were so many people surrounding him I didn’t go up to him and try and meet him."
“I actually did see him from a distance. But there were so many people surrounding him I didn’t go up to him and try and meet him."
Check back Thursday for Part II of SUathletics.com's interview with Helen Tanger.
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