We've already introduced you to rowers Abby Broughton, Ursula Grobler, and coach Carlos Dinares. We've told you about their unique training on the Shuttle MVP; Ursula taking the rowing world by storm with wins in the Head of the Charles and an indoor rowing world record; and Abby and Ursula demolishing the competition at the World Cup in Slovenia this past summer. It was that impressive win that's sending Abby and Ursula to the World Rowing Championships in New Zealand to race for team USA in the lightweight women's double sculls.

But, as has become standard practice with this bunch, the quest for a world championship in one category is simply not enough. That's why these last few months they've been training with fellow rowers Kristen Hedstrom and Victoria Burke. And these four lightweight women rowers - calling themselves the "Bellingham Bandits" - went to Princeton, New Jersey for the US Trials a few weeks back and earned themselves a spot on the US rowing team racing in the lightweight women's quad sculls. So, it's off to New Zealand for the World Rowing Championships this weekend.

Photo: Bellingham Bandits

While none of the Bandits have had international rowing experience as a team, each has performed on that stage at different times and with different teams. This will be their first World Championship experience together, and they will be going up against the best the world has to offer. Greece, Great Britain, and New Zealand are considered the teams to beat.

And Abby, Kristin, Ursula, and Victoria expect to do just that. Carlos has got them rowing fast and thinking Gold. We've got golden dreams as well.   

It will be the Bellingham Bandits in the Lightweight Women's Quad Sculls; Abby and Ursula in the Lightweight Women's Double Sculls. 

If you want to keep up with them you can follow the Bandits on their blog. You can follow Abby and Ursula through their RowStarProject.com. If you want to follow their World Rowing Championship run in New Zealand, Universal Sports will be streaming live the Finals races in all 22 categories and you can register to watch here.

Go Abby and Ursula!

Go Bellingham Bandits!!

Go USA!!!

P.S.

Not only does it take a lot of time and effort to make it to the World Championships in New Zealand - and to the London Olympics in 2010- it also takes a fair amount of money.

To keep the dream alive for these dedicated athletes, they need our support. Any amount will help. So, if you'd like to be a part of this Olympic dream, please contribute!

Please make your donation here.  

 

Here's Carlos' views on how to think and train different:

Ursula and her teammates are doing a variety of different things on the Shuttle MVP. And it's giving them enough of a workout that they refer to it as getting "Shuttle Legs". Here's what they’re doing:

In the Lightweight Women's Double Sculls, Greece is the reigning World Champion. And at the Rowing World Cup I in Bled, Slovenia they would have one of their world champions boating with a new partner. The rowing team from Britain, bronze medalists last year, were also considered one of the favorites. The British pair are in the second year of their partnership.

Representing the United States, Abby Broughton and Ursula Grobler had been together for three weeks....

But it didn't seem to matter as Abby & Ursula rowed to victory in each of their preliminary heats and semis. This placed them in the Finals where they would face both the Greek and British teams. Unfazed, Abby and Ursula took an early lead that they never relinquished, finishing more than five seconds ahead of the runner-up British.  

Coach Carlos has Abby and Ursula using the Shuttle MVP to develop power through momentum. It's a momentum that a rower has to feel, Carlos states. And he believes the MVP has the unique ability to help a rower develop that feel. In his words, the MVP "is the closest you can get to the real leg drive of rowing on the water: elastic, dynamic and explosive. The plyometric motion of landing and taking off is amazing. I've been wondering for years how to simulate the leg drive acceleration on the rowing stroke and the MVP is the answer. Coordinated power in a dynamic elastic motion is the future of efficient rowing," he states.

It's that efficient rowing that is helping power Abby and Ursula's success.    

"We had a great race," said Grobler. "You always have to react to what's going on around you, but we stayed on top of it."

Staying on top of it was an understatement. Speculating on the rowing prospects for Abby & Ursula's in the future, one of the British race commentators summed it up nicely: "They can only do what they're doing now...which is demolish the competition!"

See the complete video of the Lightweight Women’s Double Scull Finals over at World Rowing Live.

Despite their brief time together, Coach Carlos had Abby & Ursula rowing in fast unison, winning their time trial by over 10 seconds and taking their final in the Lightweight Women's Pair with a nearly seven second victory. Abby & Ursula had the fastest women's time for the day.

With the win, Abby and Ursula have officially made the US National team and will head to Bled, Slovenia where they will represent the United States in the first World Cup of the season. If they place in the top four in Slovenia, they qualify to compete in the World Championships in New Zealand in November.

To get Abby & Ursula ready for NSR2, Carlos had them rowing on Lake Sammish in Bellingham, Washington near a brand new rowing center he has created. The beautiful lake has provided them with the rowing reps they needed to get in sync with each other. Abby & Ursula have also been getting their workouts on the Shuttle MVP. Carlos had them doing some creative things to improve their start times, increase leg strength, develop dynamic power, and improve their "feel" for rowing momentum.

Awesome performance by all three - next stop, Slovenia!

More coverage on the race:

Rowers Illustrated - Where real rowers talk real rowing:
Join the conversation

Thursday Results from USRowing.org:

USRowing Training Center – Princeton’s Abby Broughton (Tetonia, Idaho) and Ursula Grobler (Pretoria, South Africa) posted the fastest time in the final of the lightweight women’s double sculls. Broughton, a silver-medalist in last year’s world championship lightweight women’s quadruple sculls, and Grobler, who won the lightweight single sculls at NSR #1, clocked a 6:55.344 for the win."

Read the full report at USRowing.org

Winning one race, only to turn around within the hour to race a second, Ursula took on the huge challenge of racing in both the Women's Lightweight and Heavyweight Single sculls at the National Selection Regatta #1. A challenge she met quite handily over a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this past weekend in New Jersey. 

In the Open (Heavyweight) singles she made it to the semifinals where she described having a "sluggish first 1,000 meters, then tried to chase her (the leader) down the last 500 meters, but didn't get her." Barely missing the Open finals "fueled her fire to go into the Lightweight final with more zazz." She won the Lightweight final in a time of 7:59, exceeding her nearest rivals by 3 seconds.

But it was in the Open finals where Ursula showed some real "zazz". Missing the A final group, Ursula made her statement in the B final race clocking a 8:23 time - seven seconds faster than the winner of the A final. I know, I know, different race, different competition, but still, Ursula proved it was definitely within her to take both the Light and Heavyweight categories.

By any measure, a very successful weekend. Now she looks to add to her success by teaming up with a new rowing partner to compete in the Women's Lightweight double.

Abbie Broughton from the Pocock Rowing Center was right behind Ursula in the Women's Lightweight singles final and is a superb rower. She also rows in Seattle which makes her a perfect partner in many ways. Ursula is excited to row with her.

And, with the NSR #2 Regatta coming up May 13-15 in New Jersey, they don't have much time to get to know one another. Coach Carlos has to help Ursula and Abbie train and bond quickly so they can row - and win - as one.

Just another exciting challenge!

Related Rowing News: Check out the Speed 5 interview: Sean Wolf and Ursula Grobler at Rowing Illustrated.

Well, the King proved plenty of people wrong on Saturday night. Using his speed and athleticism - coupled with heart and determination - King Mo took the former champion to the ground again and again. Mo fought what some have called his perfect fight - taking his opponent to the ground and controlling him. And he did that for five rounds, emerging with a unanimous decision - and a new Light Heavyweight Championship!

Photo: Esther Lin

With a reputation as a "talker", the significance of what Mo had just accomplished revealed a different side of this humble fighter....

Unwilling to let his training partner monopolize all the spotlight, Jayson "Mayhem" Miller took to the cage at the conclusion of the Jake Shields/Dan Henderson fight to ask Shields for a rematch - which was code for "At my signal, unleash hell."

Cuz that's what happened - a brawl for us all - captured on nationwide television.

Jayson made his official apology to the world yesterday. But we kinda like his response on Twitter, posted just moments after the brawl ended....

 

But if her membership on the Olympic team seems secure, why knock herself out racing twice?

It's what is best summed up as an uncertain future. The question is what race is she going to focus on for the 2012 Olympics in London. If she races in the Lightweight Women's double scull, then she is waiting for a qualified partner to join in her training. If she can't get a top-notch partner, then she will opt for the Women's single scull event. But the single scull is an "open" category - open to all, lightweight or heavyweight.

Thus, her dilemma... and the decision to race twice at NSR #1.

Complicating things a bit further, Ursula's coach Carlos Dinares will also be racing at NSR #1. So, Ursula and Carlos have now become training partners.

As is her custom, Ursula looks on these changes and challenges as a good thing. With Carlos now her training partner, Ursula has had to kick her self-responsibility and motivation up a notch. Like Carlos keeps telling her, if deep down she doesn't want it for herself, then he can't force it on her as a coach, anyway.

With two races there's also added pressure for Ursula to make weight as well as focus on the recovery that will be required to race multiple times. It provides a unique training challenge that her Shuttle MVP is helping her to meet. Ursula said that in the effort to make weight, there's the possibility of losing crucial power in her legs. The MVP is helping her maintain her muscle quickness so she can still be dynamic despite her lower body weight. As always, she really appreciates how the MVP is functional and recreates the dynamic motion and "sense of momentum" that translates to successful rowing.

Ursula also said something that we hear quite often from other users: she simply likes using the MVP. She said that with a lot of other exercise machines, when you use them, it's hard to envision yourself in your particular sport. In other words, you may be working on certain muscles that will help you in your sport, but you don't get the same feeling or translation of your exercise into the actual motions of your sport. Simply put, it's not functional. With the MVP, she experiences the same smooth motion, the sense of momentum that she feels in the boat. Consequently, she never get's bored using the MVP. She sees and feels the translation of what she's doing on the MVP to her rowing. It's very motivating, she says.

Love to hear that, Ursula! A double shot of luck to you and Carlos in New Jersey! 

To learn about Ursula's story:

Ursula Grobler & Carlos Dinares: How to Develop Efficient Power

The New World Champion

To follow Ursula's success head over to her blog.

King Mo, our newest TEAM MVP member, has a shot at the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight title this Saturday on CBS. Look forward to seeing him do well. 

"The MVP is a must for helping me develop explosive power in my legs. With zero stress on my joints I don't have to worry about injuries while strengthening my legs and joints."

King MO