The late scramble to qualify, not to mention the last-minute roster changes, presented unique and unforeseen challenges, especially psychologically, for Breet’s South African team. Nevertheless, Breet and his fellow South African rowers, all Olympic rookies, embraced the familiar role of the underdog:
“At the games, we improved day-to-day,” said Breet, applauding his team’s resiliency. “The nice thing is that because we were unknown and had no expectations, the expectation at the beginning was for us to come in last, and we readjusted that every day.”
The South Africans’ path to the medal race had “dark horse” written all over it, but to the credit of the team, this was methodically planned: Breet and company availed themselves of the repechage, a unique opportunity during which teams that lose their initial heat can earn a spot in the semi-finals by placing in a “redemption race” of sorts.
“Our intention was to go into the [first] heat really tired,” Breet said, elaborating on his team’s strategy in Rio, “and sort of peak later in the week for our semi-final…. You need to do well through the beginning stages but then really well in the later stages.”
Following a repechage victory coupled with a strong semi-final performance, Breet found himself lining up to race for an Olympic medal—the childhood fantasy was actually playing out in front of his very eyes.
“Our motto is you only need a boat and a little bit of water to row,” Breet said, reminiscing about his team’s flexible attitude.
Breet’s Rio experience was nothing short of memorable: overcoming unanticipated obstacles, genuinely contending for a medal, and donning the green and gold with the utmost honor. And yet, the Games came and went. Before he knew it, Breet, one of three Harvard undergraduates to have competed in Rio, was on his way back to the U.S. to resume his studies, albeit without a medal.
It seems as though Breet, the precocious Olympic dark horse and near-medalist, has returned to Cambridge with an extra layer of world perspective. He noted that his two years away from school have allowed him to appreciate life’s big picture and handle the day-to-day stress more effectively than the pre-Rio Vince.
“I would say I’m having a lot more fun here on [the Harvard] team,” Breet noted. “I have a lot of advice to offer…. I’ve become the sounding board for [Coach Butt].”
The Harvard heavyweight crew team is excited to have Breet back on the team, as they look forward to picking Breet’s brain this season.
“We really benefit from [Breet] translating that hunger for winning and coming so close [to medaling] into coming back to the team,” Buchholz said. “He’s taken a leadership role, bringing all of his experience from training through an Olympic cycle and racing in an Olympic final.”