USRowing Medical Commission

You'll remember that the USRowing Board of Directors meeting minutes from 5 December contained this nugget of information:

The Medical Commission is creating procedures for safe weight loss for lightweights. The NCAA has procedures in place for wrestling. USRowing does not have a mechanism for mandating that athletes follow procedures as yet. The Medical Commission plans to write a recommendation paper regarding appropriate weight loss methods. Working on this paper will be Kris Carlson, Jo Hanafin, Larry Klekatzky, Tim Hosea, a representative from the NCAA, Paul Fuchs, Charlie Butt, Greg Hughes, and Andy Card. Bebe Bryans asked that a collegiate lightweight women's coach be added to the group. Questions to be answered: Who can be a lightweight? How do you monitor weight loss? What are appropriate weigh-in procedures? Pete Cipollone asked that coxswains be included in the group being addressed about weight loss.

At the time I also wondered why no lightweight women's coach was in the group and wondered why the NCAA was included. Nonetheless, this is quite an impressive group.

I recently wrote to Dr. Tim Hosea and asked about the progress of the group, as well as why a lightweight women's coach was not included and why the NCAA was. Dr. Hosea was kind enough to write a brief response in which he said that the group was not prepared to comment now but would present its findings at the USRowing convention. I don't know whether those findings will become the "Law of the Water," but if not, they will certainly carry some weight. Dr. Hosea did take a look at FITD so he had a chance to read some of your thoughts on the subject.

The USRowing convention is scheduled for November 30th through December 2nd in Portland, Oregon. Looks like we may soon have the official word on the very issues we've all been discussing.