The Guadalquivir derby, from the prism of two Olympic rowers

Javier is the brand of Betis and Jaime, the tallest and largest rower of a Sevilla team that, despite its theoretical inferiority, does not give up the surprise that would cut short a historic and unprecedented green-and-white streak in the record of the event that took place. extends to thirteen wins in a row. «We know that Betis is still a favorite because it has been winning for many years and practically maintains the same team, but in training we are feeling very good, giving very good speeds, very similar to those of recent years, and we are confident that it will be a very competitive regatta. We will try to put as much pressure on Betis as possible to get them out of their rut,” Canalejo said in statements to this newspaper.

The worst news of the day before for Sevilla is that in their rival hardly anything has changed in the eight compared to 2023. There is only one change, but whoever gets on board is an old acquaintance. «Enter Jaime Larawho is also experienced and has already rowed on other occasions. And the one who gets off is Antonio Guzmán. The structure remains practically the same this year. Physically we are doing very well, it is a reality, but also that in recent years Sevilla has been having some of the best regattas and is making things quite difficult for us,” Javier García warns in words for ABC de Sevilla, who foresees “an even regatta ».

The Heliopolitan boat arrives with the moral reinforcement of the supremacy imposed in recent times thanks to the talent, effort and commitment of a generation of unforgettable rowers. «One of the strong points of Betis is that, that We maintain the structure as it has all these years -emphasizes the Betic-. We are about ten or twelve rowers who are always there and have the same idea of ​​training and paddling. If you lower one and mount another, you will practically not notice the difference. Even this year, if I had rowed Antonio Guzmanthe ship would have done quite well. We have enough equipment to continue supporting ourselves,” says García. Sevilla, which mixes veterans with young people in the crew, has been forced to make a couple of changes and has the absence due to injury of Jorge Flavio Knabeyour brand. «We know that it is a significant loss –acknowledges Canalejo-. He has been the marker in the last three years and one of the most important rowers on the team, but these are things that happen in sport and luckily we have a large team to be able to replace him and make his absence as noticeable as possible.

Marking, but at the green-and-white eight, in the stern, is precisely García, who explains the importance of that position on the boat. «We are all important, but the brand has a key function. What is keep the rhythm and let everyone who comes after me follow me. And obviously I have to keep the most economical pace possible so that my teammates can follow me and endure the six kilometers of the route,” he says. Canalejo also alludes to the importance of economizing, with the aim of saving energy for the last 2,500 meters of the test, agreeing in this sense with his companion from the two sin. «There are six kilometers of competition and they are psychologically very hard because they are long, 20 minutes.when we are used to doing two thousand meters -recalls García-. On a psychological level it is a long time of suffering. You make a full start because here you win or lose. And by the time you get ahead, the race is practically over. That’s why you go full out until a ship falls. And that is also hard from the head,” reflects the green-and-white rower.

The mental backpack of the Sevillistas

Obviously, mentally it has been the Sevilla crew that has suffered the most in this successful Betis cycle. Since 2010 he has not tasted Canalejo the taste of victory. And that regatta, with the sleet present on a really unpleasant morning, was rowed in the opposite direction to the current one, ending at the height of CEAR. Canalejo is asked if that heavy backpack can mentally condition the Nervionense block during the course of the race: «In the regatta, you think little. Because it is a very long-suffering, a lot of effort, and you go with lactic acid up to your head and at 190 beats per minute. You have to be very focused on your boat so as not to get knocked out of the row. Afterwards, all the people on the banks may take you out. For those of us who have been losing for years, if you see that you are doing very well and yet Betis is ahead or is still there, you can say ‘they are here again, I will never win’. But they are moments that pass, strokes, they are seconds and your head quickly returns to where it needs to be, with your team, concentrated on your block and the rowing. Trying to be as economical as possible to take victory in this six thousand meter regatta,” says the Sevilla player.

His teammate and, this time, rival expresses himself along similar lines: «Once you get to the starting line, you don’t think about the victories you have won. Yes, it is true that having won thirteen times, we started as favorites, but when you start rowing you forget everything behind you. Confidence in oneself and the team is super important in this type of regatta. In the case of Sevilla, the less they think about the last few years, I think it is the best. If they think about having thirteen defeats, that can also weigh on them in the regatta.

This year it was Betis’s turn to choose a street and logically they opted for the shore next to Seville as they had the tight curve of Chapina to the left. A critical point that has not been so critical in recent years. Despite this, the focus of the regatta in Nervion will not change, as Canalejo explains. «We try to make the strategy, whether we go inside or outside, be the same. The important thing is to get to the Chapina curve as even as possible and with the maximum possibilities. We have to hold off Betis in the curve, as they have done in recent years, and from there there are approximately two and a half kilometers left. The next curve in our favor is not so pronounced, but if we manage to stay close to Betis, we can win the regatta,” he says.

The choice of street, in any case, adds extra favoritism to the heliopolitans. «It is a reality that the one who goes inside has the favorable curve, but it is not decisive. For many years, we have gone from the outside and managed to win, so it gives you a certain advantage, but then you have to show that you have more speed,” García endorses. And he adds in this regard: «Last year we were on the outside and in Chapina we managed to maintain the speed. When the curve ended, the entire next part was favorable to us and we knew it. It was the strategy set before the regatta. This year, everything that remains after the curve to the finish line favors Sevilla,” he adds.

He Puppy Bridge It could be the point of no return in the race and the red-and-white boat will have to make a colossal effort to at least continue following the same bow to bow with Betis. Therein lies the challenge. «Yes, getting there with them having done a very good 3,500 meters of paddling and with the least possible expense to put in the last two kilometers the last pull. If we manage to arrive with a good paddle and being very economical in those three kilometers, I think we can have many possibilities,” estimates Canalejo.

Back to the selection

Sevilla aspires to break the endless streak of its archrival and Betis, to extend it in that long-awaited objective of completely overturning the general historical result, still favorable to the Nervionenses by 30-27. «I see it very possible. With what we have achieved and are achieving, which is historic, I have the feeling that If we continue working along these lines, we are going to equal Sevilla or even surpass them. It is the goal that we set years ago, the goal that we continue to maintain and the one that we are going to follow in the coming years,” says García, who like Canalejo has been summoned for the concentration that the national rowing team will develop precisely at the CEAR of the November 10 to 20. “Right now I am doing my training with the national team together with Betis, but starting Monday, because we have a rest on Sunday, we start again with the national team,” says the green-and-white rower. Seconds it Canalejo. «On Monday the concentration officially begins. There are ten days with the selection. Little by little we return to the routine with the entire team. We will have meetings and they will inform us of the proposal for these four years,” says the Sevilla player.

It is too early to know which boat they will compete in, but there should be no surprises. «There are four years left and we are not closing ourselves to any boat. We are going to try to go in the boat that has the highest level and possibilities. We do not close ourselves to two withoutwe are open. We know that it is very difficult for us to give a higher level than in that one, we already know that, so we will most likely repeatbut we don’t know one hundred percent yet,” Canalejo clarifies. Surely at the CEAR, next Monday, after the Guadalquivir derby, some joke will fall between two inseparable people who today compete for crossed interests.