- Mike Spracklen
-
Mike Spracklen (born 15 September 1937 in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England) is an international rowing coach who has led teams from Great Britain, USA, Canada to success at the Olympic games and Rowing World Championships, including the early Olympic successes of Steven Redgrave. In 2002 he was named the International Rowing Federation coach of the year.[1]
Spracklen was also part of the coaching team that brought Oxford University success in the annual Oxford/Cambridge Boat Race in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Mike's youngest son Adrian is a former British international lightweight oarsman and now coaches rowing at Mercyhurst College, Pennsylvania.[2]
Contents
Career
Spracklen's first major success was in coaching the Great Britain double scull to silver in the Montreal Olympic Games 1976. In 1984 he coached the coxed four to victory at the Los Angeles Olympics It was the first gold since 1948. From that crew he took Steve Redgrave and Andy Holmes to a further Olympic gold in the coxless pair (and bronze in the coxed pair) in Seoul in 1988, before moving to Canada as head coach in 1989 and becoming a full time professional coach.
The Canadian men's eight took gold at the 1992 Olympics under his tutelage, and Spracklen moved on to coach the USA squad.[3] He inaugurated the rowing venue at the new Chula Vista Olympic Training Center. After a disappointing finishing position of fifth in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic eights, he returned to Great Britain as the Women's national coach.
In 1998 the British women achieved their first Gold at a World Championship, in the double sculls. After the 2000 Olympics, where the British women took silver in the quad,the first Olympic medal for British women, Spracklen's contract was not renewed, with the BBC reporting discontent in the squad over his methods.[4]
Since 2000 Spracklen has been coaching the Canadian men's squad, winning the Gold medal for eights at the 2002, 2003 and 2007 World Championships[5] and at the 2008 Olympics.
Coaching style
Spracklen's coaching revolves around finding a balance between the factors that affect the speed of the boat: Power (the effort per stroke), Length of Stroke, Rate (number of strokes taken each minute) and Technique.[6]
Coaching titles
Year Championship Event Nation Result 1976 Olympics Mens double sculls Great Britain Silver 1977 World Championships Mens double scull Great Britain Gold 1978 World Championships Mens double scull Great Britain Silver 1984 Olympics Men's Coxed Four Great Britain Gold 1985 World Championship Men's coxless pair Great Britain Silver 1986 World Championships Mens coxed pair Great Britain Gold 1987 World Championships Men's coxless pair Great Britain Gold 1987 World Championships Coxed pair Great Britain Silver 1988 Olympics Men's Coxless Pair Great Britain Gold 1988 Olympics Mens coxed pair Great Britain Bronze 1989 World championships Men's coxless Pair Great Britain Silver 1989 World Championships Men's coxed four Great Britain Bronze 1990 World Championships Mens eight Canada Silver 1990 World Championships Women's single Canada Silver 1991 World Championships Mens eight Canada Silver 1991 World Championships Womens single Canada Gold 1992 Olympics Men's Eight Canada Gold 1992 Olympics Women's Single Scull Canada (Silken Laumann) Bronze 1993 World Championships Men's Eight USA Bronze 1994 World Championships Men's Eight USA Gold 1995 World Championships Men's Eight USA Bronze 1996 Olympics Men's Eight USA 5th 1996 Olympics Women's Single Sculls Canada (Silken Laumann) Silver 1997 World Championships Women's Double Sculls Great Britain Silver 1998 World Championships Women's Double Sculls Great Britain Gold 1998 World Championships Women's coxless pair Great Britain Silver 2000 Olympics Women's Quadruple Sculls Great Britain Silver 2002 World Championships Men's Eight Canada Gold 2003 World Championships Men's Eight Canada Gold 2003 World Championships Men's Coxless Four Canada Gold 2004 Olympics Men's Coxless Four Canada Silver 2006 World Championships Men's Coxless Pair Canada Bronze 2007 World Championships Men's Eight Canada Gold 2008 Olympics Men's Eight Canada Gold 2008 Olympics Men's Coxless Pair Canada Silver 2009 World Championships Men's Eight Canada Silver 2011 World Championships Men's Eight Canada Bronze 2011 World Championships Men's Coxed Pair Canada Bronze Honours
- 1998 UK and England Coach of the Year by the National Coaching Foundation[7]
- 2002 International Rowing Federation coach of the year.
- 2004 Spirit of Sport Foundation coach of the year[8]
- 2007 Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence Award[9]
References
- ^ "Mike Spracklen Named Coach of the Year at FISA's Awards Ceremony". Row2k. 2002-11-17. http://www.row2k.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6881. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
- ^ "Adrian Spracklen". Mercyhurst College Athletics web site. http://hurstathletics.cstv.com/sports/w-rowing/mtt/spracklen_adrian00.html. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
- ^ "USA Men's results 1980–2000". RowingHistory.net. http://www.rowinghistory.net/US%20Team/Boats%20-%20Men%201980-2000.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
- ^ Phelps, Richard (2000-10-25). "Spracklen's 'crumbling pyramid'". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics2000/rowing_and_water_sports/990148.stm. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
- ^ "National Team Coaches". Rowing Canada. http://www.rowingcanada.org/national_team/national_team_coaches/. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
- ^ "The Spracklen method". http://home.hia.no/~stephens/sprack.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-22.[dead link]
- ^ "Spracklen is voted coach of the year". Regatta Magazine. Amateur Rowing Association. 1998. http://www.rowingservice.com/regatta/111-sprack.html. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
- ^ "SSF Officially Announces Winners of the 31st Annual Canadian Sport Awards". True Sport. 2004-03-23. http://www.truesportpur.ca/index.php/press/23. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
- ^ "Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence Awards". Coaching Association of Canada. Archived from the original on 2008-04-26. http://web.archive.org/web/20080426032038/http://www.coach.ca/eng/awards/petro_canada.cfm. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
Categories:- Rowing coaches
- Living people
- 1937 births
- People from Marlow, Buckinghamshire
- Rowing stubs
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