Author(s): Wilkins Peter

General

In DON'T ROCK THE BOAT the story behind the extraordinary events in which Olympic rower Sally Robbins put down her oars and fell back in the boat unfolds from farce to tragedy. In the middle of the women's eights final at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Robbins, who earned the soubriquet 'Lay Down Sally', suddenly stopped rowing although her team were pulling in second place. Fuelled by an avid media, the Australian public could not believe it. Nor could they believe that her furious and distressed team mates had threatened to throw Robbins overboard. The rowers were banned from talking to the media, and so into the vacuum poured all kinds of speculation. So what really did happen? And what had led to this sporting tragedy? Based on extensive interviews with members of the team, parents, supporters, coaches and sports administrators, sports journalist Peter Wilkins unpicks the mystery behind an event that should have come as no surprise but resulted in brilliant athletes being shunned from selection - and even going into exile abroad.