Jordan Parry feels greater equipped for his second appearance on the big stage.
Parry will contest the men’s single scull at this year’s world rowing championships and while not wanting to specifically target an outcome, he believes he’s in a far better spot than he was at the Tokyo Olympics.
After winning his place in the New Zealand team by seeing off two-time defending Olympic champion Mahe Drysdale, Parry was unable to perform anywhere near his best, or at the level of the other top scullers as he finished 13th overall.
A year later, the 26-year-old says he’s in a different place following that disappointing experience.
“To display what I’ve practised is kind of the exciting part for me,” Parry said this week ahead of the team’s departure for the world champs to be held in Racice, Czech Republic, from September 18-25.
”As an outcome – it’s not something I really look at – is to make the A final, but genuinely I’m just really excited to display what I’ve practised – and I think what I’ve practised has been quite exciting. A lot of growth from last year.”
Parry said he’s learnt from reflection.
”It’s relieving seeing the difference in perspectives I have.
“Say last year, immediately after, very gutted … my thoughts on imaginary expectations sort of bewildered the enjoyment of it.
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Jordan Parry says he’s ready to enjoy himself a lot more at the 2022 rowing world champs.
“But now I feel like it makes a lot of sense – the result and the general performance makes a lot of sense to me – almost calming, almost reassuring having that under my belt.
”Going forward, you are aware of a lot more of what you as an individual need – rather than going out on a whim and not really having any idea what you do to get on a podium or in the A final.
”I think the outer created an internal expectation … I feel a lot more aware of that and looking to enjoy myself a lot more.”
Parry was sure he wanted another crack at the highest level in the single this year.
“I talked to my director about it and recently had to linger around the question of ‘answering my why’.
”That really connected with the single – just being able to manipulate the boat and move it how I like – it’s what I enjoy most, so it had to be the single for me.”
However, Parry wasn’t able to compete in the single at the two World Cup regattas contested by the NZ team in Europe earlier this year after having Covid-19 in April.
”It didn’t affect me too much, although it did alter plans for the World Cups.
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Jordan Parry is keeping his options open as to which boat he’d like to be in for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
”I was pretty keen to go for the single [scull] at the Cups – to get some more experience under my belt that wasn’t just the Olympics. But catching Covid put that on the back foot and our best possible scenario was the quad – and I guess that helped the development for a number of the younger guys as well.
”Especially with the risk of long Covid – I really backed off training for a few weeks.”
The NZ men’s quad – consisting of Parry as stroke, Brook Robertson, Olympic gold medal-winning member of the eight Phillip Wilson and Jack O’leary – were fifth in the B final at the second World Cup regatta in Poznan, Poland, in June.
Parry and O’leary then contested the men’s double sculls in the final World Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland, in July and while they were second in the C final, Parry felt the exercise was a useful development project for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
”I see it as a sort of yardstick – to have a taste of what the fields look like in the quad and the double.
”We stuck our nose out there and we might have to re-visit it next year, or in Paris – but we’re building momentum with a lot of the crew in those boats, which is good.
“We catch up regularly, to bond, to get to know each other’s personalities and how we fit together as a crew.”
That’s left Parry with multiple options over the next two years, admitting that the quad and the single were both legitimate possibilities.
“I think the team culture in men’s sculling has been building and has been really quite positive. I think a quad would be something to look out for in Paris.”
