New Zealand lightweight Jackie Kiddle has had a chequered career, joining the Kiwi senior lightweights at the peak of their success, and as a result failing to make the Rio team despite her undoubted ability. She and Zoe McBride then formed a brilliant new partnership and were unbeaten for the whole of 2019 before the pandemic hit and McBride unexpectedly retired. Unfortunately with lightweight rowing heading for its extinction there was no longer an elite-level partner to join Kiddle, who therefore had to miss the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. During 2023 she and Shannon Cox created a new partnership, which has won gold and silver in from the 2024 World Cup series.
On the second day of Paris Olympic Regatta racing, the Row360 caught up with Jackie Kiddle (JS) after she won her heat.
How do you feel about your first race here?
JK: Yeah it was a really cool experience, something that we’ve definitely never experienced before. We’re both first-time Olympians, so to come down a course that’s just that loud was quite unreal, really. Especially to race a French crew, which is amazing and is what the Olympics is meant to be about.
Are you pleased with your performance?
JK: Yep, absolutely. We always wanted to put a good race down so to win the heat is really cool, and yes we just want to get better and better from here, it’s a great benchmark.
Have you had the chance to experience any of the other fun around the Olympics?
JK: No, we haven’t been into the Village, we’re staying just outside the Village, but the cool thing is that we as a New Zealand team are really embracing the cultural aspects of being a Kiwi and being a New Zealander. We’ve been doing quite a few waiatas and hakas to welcome different people coming into our team, and that has been quite adrenaline-pumping. To have that part of our routine now is really cool, and the other teams in our hotel have found that quite a full experience as well.
JK: And then just how big this grandstand is, it’s huge, and you can hear [the crowd] from the grandstand, it’s incredible.
Have you seen your rivals?
JK: We know each other, we have a weigh-in two hours before so you sit there and twiddle your thumbs, talk to people around you. The really cool thing about the lightweight community is we’re really quite close so you wave at each other as you go through the boat park, and we’re all friends off the water. On the water might be a different story….
Is there any sadness about this being the last Olympics [with lightweights]?
JK: I think that’s something we’ll park and deal with after. For us just being here is a pretty massive achievement. Especially for me, last time I was meant to come and couldn’t, for us to be here has been a bit of an unreal experience just to try and get here. We’re just going to try and soak that up and any sadness about the lightweight double not continuing can be for afterwards.
