Chris Gowers interview - Paul Goodisons coach

by Andi Robertson 19 Aug 2008 16:35 BST 9-21 August 2008

Chris Gowers has worked with new Olympic Laser champion Paul Goodison since 1998. Athens was a tough lesson for Goody. He started the final day with a chance of silver or bronze and finished in fourth.

"I did not see him for 36 hours." said Chris, in between hosing down and packing away Goody’s boat. He says that Paul came back to Laser sailing fairly soon after Athens:

"It was reasonably quick, by Christmas he had a plan, got focussed and decided to do it properly." "Immediately after he was pretty down and took a break from the sailing. I did not say anything to him other than ‘time’ll clear the mind…. I’ll see you at Christmas and don’t make any rash decisions or say anything like ‘if anybody’s sees me in a boat, shoot me,’"

According to Gowers today there was never any real danger of him giving up, but the Athens experience did change him:

"He is more thorough in everything, always looking for a little bit more. In any condition or any leg of the course he never thinks he has cracked it now, when then he probably did. He just realises how there is still improvements to be made all the way round."

"Even though he wouldn’t like you to believe it, he is pretty professional and thorough all departments when it comes to going sailing."

And has Goody changed in the way he sails at regattas:

"In Cascais last year the emphasis was on the strong winds and he made some improvements which we at the time thought was maybe down to weight and fitness, but this year having lost the weight it is obviously the improvements were more marked than maybe I thought, but even this week in the windy race even sailing around with a boat full of water, in terms of technique that is the only big difference, but there have been little improvements. Like a slight change in conditions he is better at finding the right answer, probably the best at finding the right answer, more thorough taking the logical answer rather the emotional option a bit more."

"Today depended on conditions and so it was just a bit too fluky to risk it really, which was just a bit unfortunate for Ras who did not do a good job himself."

"He has just been in a position. The big one was when he won the first Europeans, since then he has been practising doing the right thing towards the end of a regatta. A number of regattas he has been behind into the last day."

Gowers’ role is more sounding board and occasional check.

"It is almost automatic these days to be honest. There is no specific things we go through. If I feel he is missing something then I am there, but again at 31 years old, you are normally old enough in yourself to know, but just occasionally I ask a question or whatever."

The strength and depth of the international Laser class at Olympic level just gets tougher, according to Gowers:

"I think it is very hard to prove, but I am sure if Ben and Robert got back in at the right weight, they’d be in the Top 5 no doubt, but I don’t think the class as ever been this strong. Last year down you go down to 80th place and you are a bloody good sailor. It used to be that we went with all the British team and everybody would be in the gold fleet and now you would never get there with a part time approach."