When Martin Cross was rowing for Great Britain 40 years ago the thought of a mother competing at the Olympics was unheard of; bringing your spouse to training was frowned upon. “To be honest, if a woman had had a child the chances were that it wouldn’t be known about,” the multiple Olympian tells . Now he’s among those singing the loudest praises for the “supermums” as a commentator at the Paris games.
“The stories are now known and they’re being celebrated.” After the Emma Twigg battle for gold and silver in single sculls, Cross gushed over their hug at the finish line. “That is so beautiful, so beautiful,” he said.
“The respect, the fondness, the love between those two athletes.” He went on to talk about Twigg’s partner Charlotte and their son Tommy born in 2022 watching the race. Cross has watched as the sport has become much more friendly and understanding.
Large rowing nations such as New Zealand are less rigid, while the funding that is now available to athletes means that competing mums get much more financial support. Of the gold medal-winning double scullers Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis, he points to their unique bond as mothers. “They’ve relished their training time more than they ever have.
” Sports journalist Suzanne McFadden says it has taken trailblazers such as Dame Valerie Adams and Silver Fern Ameliaranne Ekenasio to bring about change but it has been a long time coming. It took coach Dame Noeline Taurua in 2018 to insist th.