Spain’s K4 Dream Team

Rodrigo Germade, Saul Craviotto, Marcus Cooper Walz and Carlos Arévalo López will remember each other for the rest of their lives. Together the Spaniards secured silver in the K4 500m race in canoe sprint at the Tokyo Olympics. We spoke to the latter two in an exclusive interview, to catch a glimpse into the professional canoeing scene: Training, misconceptions and much more.

Arévalo has been a canoeist for going on 20 years. “I started at nine years old, because my brother practised canoeing, and I tried.” It’s a similar story to his teammate Cooper Walz’, who began canoeing with a friend when he was 12. “At the beginning it was only about having fun, and so on. And then there was a part of the competition guys, who were training hard. So, I wanted to try, and I liked it from the beginning.”

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MISCONCEPTIONS STICK AROUND

They probably didn’t think they’d have to break down their sport to others even now, as Olympic medallists, but the misconceptions have persisted. Cooper has heard and answered the same questions dozens of times. “Everyone thinks it’s like rowing. We always have to explain rowing is when you go backwards and we go in front [and paddle], left, right. People always get that confused.” At the European Championships Munich 2022 both sports will take place at the Olympic Regatta Centre and make the perfect backdrop to drill in the distinction.

But there is another key fact many get wrong. “Also, people always think that in canoeing you only go with your arms. And we have to explain it’s all our body at the same time,” says Cooper with a smile.

What most do get right is that most canoeists start solo. Cooper, 2016 Olympic K1 500m Champion, explains: “You can do canoeing solo or as a team. The basic training is solo. It’s called kayak 1, K1, K because of kayak. And then we go together and compete in team also.”

TRAINING TOGETHER IS KEY

The Spanish amigos have to continuously adapt to the Olympic programme. But adaptation isn’t foreign to them, says the 27-year-old Cooper: “When you’re alone you just depend on yourself and you have to do your best, which is difficult enough. […] But when you train and compete with a team it’s loads more difficult, because you don’t just depend on yourself, you depend on other guys.”

Everyone needs to be a jack of all trades, strong individually and fit into a team. Unlike common conception they neither rarely nor always train alongside one another. About 75 percent of their training is done on their own, Arévalo guesses. Everyone needs to listen to their body and therefore “it does make sense to normally train individually. But it also depends on the season. When we do a bit more like competition rhythms then we do it together because we want to do that in a team,” adds his teammate.

“Apart from that you have to have lots and lots of synchronisation [training],” continues the blond Spaniard. Cooper also explains why practices together are essential for a fluid stroke as one entity: “In canoeing you go left, right, left, right – exactly at the same time, push – exactly at the same time, because if you don’t do that it makes a big difference.” And not in a good way. Since uneven strokes don’t add up to the straight shot towards the finish line.

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TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK

Cooper reiterates the importance of team practices: “Even if you want to do well, it’s not easy, unless you train lots of hours together and get it right.” Further, everyone aboard needs to be on board with the set goal. Otherwise, you just won’t get there (in a decent time). But training isn’t the end-all be-all, says Cooper. “Obviously, you have to get on well with your teammates. It helps a lot.” It is just as obvious that at least these two get on more than just well together.

When asked to describe their teammates Arévalo looks at Cooper sheepishly and challenges him in Spanish: “Pronto, descríbame! [engl. Go ahead, describe me!]” Both laugh wholeheartedly. A few seconds later Cooper commences in earnest: “I am lucky, I think I got three teammates, that are serious, that are ambitious and that I get on with so well, not just in the sport, but personally. And that makes it easy.”

A proper friendship improves communication tenfold, which makes everything more effortless. Cooper is adamant about how helpful that can be: “That makes the difference when you compete. We all go together, really together.” And Arévalo agrees with his teammate and friend: “We are a very good team. We are serious, ambitious and we focus on an objective and work for it.” But they aren’t the only good team out there.

EUROPE’S TOP COMPETITORS ARE(N’T) ALWAYS THE SAME

So, who is their greatest competition? They look at one another, look back at the camera and speak in unison: “Alemania, Germany.” The German K4 boat was the only one to edge out Spain in Tokyo, including Class of 22 athlete Max Lemke.

Nevertheless, “it’s not fair to say that other countries aren’t strong,” says Cooper. And he continues by adding that “in solo competitions it’s a bit more random. It depends on the guy, and it depends on the year. There are not just a few strong competitors, it’s a mix.”

(MUNICH) 2022 HAS A LOT TO OFFER

Their priority this year will continue to be on the team event, however. Arévalo has already set goals for the upcoming season: “I want to compete in K4 in the European or World Championships, with Marcus and the rest of the partners, Rodrigo Germade and Saul Craviotto.”

They’ll only get to go to one event tops. Munich 2022 with the added bonus of the eight other European Championships “seems to be fun,” acknowledges Cooper. But they are also eyeing the World Championships taking place in early August. Both at the world and at the European stage they will be paddling with para-canoeists, as the competitions are held as one. Cooper and Arévalo are happy about the programming. “We think it makes total sense.” Everyone competes in their division, but the sport remains one union.

Canoe sprint isn’t the only activity on their mind, however. Arévalo adores watching any athletic competition: “I love all sports. And Marcus and I usually watch a lot of sports.” In Munich, their first go to would be beach volleyball. Probably because it can be played closest to the water, and four is the perfect number to play with.