Foster retires to become coach

This article, requested by the Independent for Thursday 6th December 2001, did not for various reasons get to the copy-editor until after the first edition had gone out. The online article is the press release version, written by a sub: this is the real thing.

Foster retires to become coach

Oarsman Tim Foster yesterday became the latest British Olympic champion to announce his retirement, although he will remain closely involved with rowing, which has consumed his life for fifteen years. At the age of 31, injury has spurred Foster to give up international competition, and use his abilities to help others towards their dreams of Olympic gold. He will be the first recipient of an Amateur Rowing Association Apprentice Coaching Scholarship, supported by the Lottery Sports Fund. While retaining his existing job with the University of London Boat Club, Foster will assist the GB men's heavyweight squad, on the Tideway and at Henley-on-Thames, mentored by chief coach Jürgen Grobler. "It's a pity to stop, but I'm very excited about the future", said Foster yesterday.

Foster's career has glittered ever since he made history in 1988 as the first Briton to win a second successive world junior championship gold medal, with fresh-faced coxless pairs partner Matthew Pinsent. During the following thirteen years, Foster was never far from the top of the senior rowing squad. He has had to miss two world championships due to injury, but finished in the top six each time he did appear, and only twice missed out on the medals, displaying superb technique and feel for the boat.

The first Olympic triumph, a bronze with the Searle brothers and Rupert Obholzer during the 1996 Atlanta Games, seemed almost a let-down for a determined and skilful crew who had hoped for gold. However, it marked the beginning of a long, albeit rocky, period of top-flight success for the long-haired rower. Foster's oarsmanship and natural rhythm made him an obvious prospect for the new coxless four forming around Redgrave and Pinsent in 1997, and it was here that he finally struck senior gold. The new combination was threatened in 1999, when the back injury that has plagued Foster since 1993 returned to haunt him, and he lost his place in the golden crew, rowing to silver with the rapidly improving British eight after several months recovering flat on his back after major surgery.

Foster reclaimed his seat in the coxless four for that historic day in Sydney, but last year a new threat, knee trouble, kept him out of the team. The latest operation to relieve a distressed tendon was in September, but the expected recovery failed to materialise, and Foster is now in continual low-level pain. "I've probably had my fair share of bad luck", he said. "If I row now, I row left-legged, pretty much carrying my right leg. Sitting in a launch seems like a much better idea right now."

His dodgy back has, fortunately, stopped acting up. "I think my body is trying to tell me something", commented Foster. "Having convinced myself it wasn't rowing aggravating my back problem, it's feeling OK now I haven't been out in a boat. It was a very difficult decision, though. Rowing is what I loved doing. But now I feel I'm better off looking forward and going into coaching."