Princeton University Athletics
Driven Andr?anne Morin '06 Hopes Third Olympiad Is Both Charming & Golden
July 27, 2012 | Women's Rowing - Open
GoPrincetonTigers.com will provide profiles, video interviews and Q&As of each of its eight rowers headed to the London Olympics. See the schedule below:
Monday: Caroline Lind '06
Tuesday: Robin Prendes '11 l Lauren Wilkinson '11
Wednesday: Sara Hendershot '10 l Sam Loch '06
Thursday: Glenn Ochal '08 l Gevvie Stone '07
Friday: Andréanne Morin '06 l Daily Olympic Schedule
Andréanne Morin '06 has already been to the Olympics. Twice. But in this case, she was talking about a World Cup race, held two months before the start of her third Olympiad.
MORIN'S LINKS
Twitter l Canadian Olympic Profile l World Rowing Profile l 2006 NCAA Championship
The site was Lucerne, Switzerland, and the event was the women's eight final. The U.S. crew had set a world record in a preliminary event, but the final would be a thriller. The U.S. edged Canada by… well, we'll let Morin pick it up from here.
“.03 is an inch and a half,” she said, while using her thumb and forefinger to show a distance that was probably exactly an inch and a half. “That's what they beat us by, when we were just starting our European tour. If they are confident with an inch and a half margin, then go ahead. Feel good about yourselves. The Olympic final is going to be different.” In case you didn't pick it up, Morin has a competitive drive that is in the highest gear. Making the Olympic team, while still an honor, can't be nearly as awe-inspiring as it was in 2004 or 2008.
In what you would have to assume would be her last competitive Olympics (though some may have assumed that in 2008 as well), the medal stand is clearly the ultimate goal for the Canadian veteran.
This shouldn't surprise anybody who knows Morin, whose competitive drive reaches its maximum as soon as her oar touches water.
“I am a product of Princeton rowing, and I recognize that,” said Morin, who was a key part of the Tigers' 2006 NCAA champion varsity eight. “One of the aspects that Lori got out of me was as a racer. This idea that you have to fight like a terrier, like you are small and the odds are against you … I have carried that into my rowing here in Canada for sure.”
Competitive spirit can carry you a long ways, but don't underestimate Morin's talent in the boat. A 10-year member of the Canadian national program, she has been part of medal-stand finishes at World Cup events since 2003. She took two years off for her first Olympic experience, but she returned to Princeton in time to be part of the dominant 2006 crew.
“We just had such good energy, and it was so dynamic,” Morin said. “We took it as far as we could. It was, 'Let's see how far we can lead, and let's try to win Nationals by nine seconds.' We set the tone to that entire season. It was just really fun, and I carry that into this team. I think you perform so much better when you enjoy what you do.”
Morin's joy and passion for the sport is clear when you listen to her speak. In fact, both the sport and the Olympics has become such a part of her identity that she now sits on the Canadian Olympic Committee as an athlete rep, and she sits on the World Anti-Doping Association as an athlete rep. She plans on using her law school education and her athletic background to make a difference for the future of sports.
But there is a more immediate future on her mind.
Canada hasn't won gold in the women's eight since 1992, and it hasn't medaled in the eight since 2000. It came awfully close in 2008, but the Netherlands used a record-setting final 500 to leave Morin's boat in a disappointing fourth-place position.
She sees this one playing out differently, and the team has real momentum on its side. After the inch-and-a-half loss to the U.S. in Lucerne, the Canadians won the World Cup event in Munich several weeks later. The Americans didn't compete in that event, but Morin is confident that her boat will be ready for the rematch.
And whether it's .03 of a second or open water, this driven veteran plans to make her third Olympics a charm.
A golden one.