Out of eight Lithuanian Olympic rowers in Paris, seven will be making their debuts. One of them is singles rower Viktorija Senkutė. According to the Trakai native, this dream has been with her for 13 years. During this time she’s tried out several sports, including cycling, but it is her favourite sport, rowing, that secured her an Olympic ticket.
“Lithuanian weather is very deceptive. One day it’s hot, the other it’s cold. You come dressed for somewhere in the middle, but you never get it right,” shares Senkutė who caught a cold after practice.
After securing her ticket to Paris in in Lucerne, Switzerland, the 28-year-old athlete admits that her first emotion was not joy by relief.
“I thought ‘finally’, just that one word. You have worked for many years. Some work one year, others two, three – even 15. I’m no exception. I waited 13 years to reach this goal to go to the games. Everything that’d been bad and hard finally paid off. It’s an emotion I can’t describe,” remembers the singles rower.
Senkutė greets from the rowing capital of Lithuania, Trakai. That’s how she found herself in this sport early on. In 2013 she competed in the U-18 World Youth Championships. Five years later she won bronze during the doubles event in the U-23 championship.
Three years later, she climbed the podium in Utena – but this time as a cyclist. Senkutė made the choice to part with rowing.
“I was forced to by the then federation’s leadership and the system. When I came back from the European championships, where I placed tenth, they stated that I was a waste of money and unworthy of financing. I was taken off the roster and had to train on my own. I could do that, but I was infuriated,” Senkutė recalls her retirement from the sport.
“You devote so many years to a sport. Not everyone can be full of talent, shine within a few years. Some need a little more time, attention and maturity. I decided to step aside.”
Desire to compete didn’t leave Senkutė, however. The athlete traded oars for bike pedals.
“The cyclist community took me in, which I will forever be thankful for. If not for them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Cycling has helped me stay close to professional sports and the thrill of competition,” the Olympian says.
However, her love for rowing won over in the end and changes in the federation convinced Senkutė to return: “When the leadership changed, the new president and general secretary were elected, coach Mykolas Masilionis returned, this programme worked for me. I reached maturity and was able to achieve the results I have now.”
Having competed on the Lithuanian team at the 2021 European Cycling Championships in Italy, the athlete says that switching to a bike did not harm her as a rower. On the contrary, after a spell of cycling, she feels better in a boat now.
“It might sound paradoxical, but I think that stepping out of the boat helps you understand what you did wrong. After a break, you start to feel the boat, the movement, your support. When I had to skip the European Championships last year due to trauma, I pedalled my bike and jogged a lot. A month after coming back to rowing, I found new feelings, new sensations. I’m grateful for this opportunity,” says the rower.
Senkutė will compete in the singles rowing event, although she says that rowing alone was never her goal.
“Before, we had very few girls in the team. I was usually the third one and would be left out for the single. I’d say to myself, ‘I’m not a singles rower, this won’t work.’ Coming back from those breaks changed my perspective. I think the maturity came that let me understand that if it had to happen, I’d be left in the single. That’s what led me to where I am today,” the athlete says.
Rowing single is not just a physical, but also a psychological challenge.
“When you compete in a team, you know you mustn’t disappoint others. You won’t stop for anything because you feel someone in front of and behind you. You simply don’t want to give up. When you row alone [...] you can’t always row your best,” the rower shares.
Even though the Lithuanian rowers will be competing in pairs or on their own, they’re all going to Paris as a team. Senkutė believes that teammates meaningfully contribute to each other’s success, even those who are not going to the Olympic Games.
“The better the team, the better the results. It’s good when there’s competition. If you know you have a guaranteed spot, you’re going to the world championships, you unwittingly stop trying as hard. But when you know that someone can push you out, that’s a whole different story.”
The athlete also highlights the importance of young rower’s potential: “There are very good young rowers. I’m waiting for the Los Angeles team to be even bigger in four years.”
For now, though, Senkutė’s start in the Games may bring Lithuania’s first Olympic medal in singles rowing.
Translated by Monika Jurevičius.
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