The NZ national eight coached by Harry Mahon won gold medals in the world Championships in 1982 and 1983. National pride and hopes ran high that at the Los Angeles Olympic Regatta the crew would repeat the Gold medal victory won in 1972 when Rusty Robertson was the Head Coach.
Pieces of Eight was the documentary made about the crew, selection and the ultimate disappointment of the outcome.
it is the TV documentary most requested by visitors to Rowperfect who want to buy a DVD of the rowing. We have been contacted by the national film archive, NZ On Screen, offering it free for viewing online.
The film is viewable in four parts/
- Pieces of Eight Part one – the context and early ergometer testing. Barry Mabbot gets seat raced out of the crew.
- Pieces of Eight Part two – Dudley Storey goes fund raising for $50,000 to pay for the trip, athletes work and train part time.
- Pieces of Eight Part three – The crew arrives in LA and gets to grip with Olympic Security at Lake Casitas
- Pieces of Eight Part four – The opening ceremony, Harry briefs the crew on the race plan for the heat and then the final outcome.
Read the book written from interviews with the athletes and sets the context of the kiwi pursuit for eights titles which Harry Mahon didn’t overcome until the Sydney Olympic Games of 2000 with the British eight. Reflections of Gold by Peter Bidwell.
