Mike Spracklen had his share of detractors, but he didnB次元官网网址檛 think it was enough to tip him out of the boat.

Earlier this week Rowing Canada made a bold decision to fire the decorated coach. Off-and-on since 1990, Spracklen guided Canadians to multiple Olympic and World Championship gold medals, helping Silken Laumman to fame in the 1990s and, in recent years, the crews of the menB次元官网网址檚 heavyweight eight and pairs to the Olympic podium.

The national program is restructuring, which includes hiring a new performance director for the heavyweight menB次元官网网址檚 program based at Elk Lake, to be announced later.

B次元官网网址淢ike has left a significant legacy and we respect and celebrate his many achievements,B次元官网网址� said Peter Cookson, the high performance director in a statement.

B次元官网网址淭wo medals (in London) does not meet our expectations B次元官网网址� we are driven to improve on this.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淐ertainly I was surprised,B次元官网网址� Spracklen said from his Sidney home on Tuesday. B次元官网网址淚 still have something to offer, providing my health stays good then IB次元官网网址檒l continue coaching. I want to go and help people who want my help, and IB次元官网网址檒l continue to do what I can for them.

B次元官网网址淚f they donB次元官网网址檛 want my help, I donB次元官网网址檛 want to be with them.B次元官网网址�

Just as several current rowers stepped forward to defend Spracklen on Tuesday, heB次元官网网址檚 also been the target of controversy since about 2010, mainly from menB次元官网网址檚 pair of Dave Calder and Scott Frandsen, whoB次元官网网址檝e openly criticizing his style of coaching.

The CBC published a letter on Tuesday from Frandsen in support of SpracklenB次元官网网址檚 removal, but he and Calder passed up a request for comment to the B次元官网网址.

From the CBC letter, Frandsen voiced harsh words, accusing Spracklen of creating an inner circle of rowers, with an B次元官网网址渦s against themB次元官网网址� mentality against the rest of the rowing team, and for employing an unfair selection process for the international boat crews.

But current rower and 2012 Olympian Lindsay JennerichB次元官网网址搘ho fought and won against Rowing Canada for the right as the only womenB次元官网网址檚 boat to train at Elk Lake under SpracklenB次元官网网址揳nd Kevin Light, a member of the 2008 Olympic gold-medal heavyweight eight, are among the many who disagree with Calder and FrandsenB次元官网网址檚 outlook, as well as Rowing CanadaB次元官网网址檚.

B次元官网网址淩emoving Spracklen not only weakens the future of the heavy menB次元官网网址檚 rowing team, it removes an aura of excellence, dedication and hard work from the entire high performance system... Right now Rowing Canada is in a process of eliminating some of the best resources to rowers that exist in this country B次元官网网址� firing Mike Spracklen is proof that the system is not making choices based on winning. They are making them based on politics. What wins medals is belief in the plan. Myself and many others now have none,B次元官网网址� Jennerich wrote in an email to the B次元官网网址.

Light too, is upset.

B次元官网网址淐ookson is a nice guy, and as a rower he always treated me well, but he made a wrong decision and hasnB次元官网网址檛 realized the ramifications of what heB次元官网网址檚 done,B次元官网网址� Light said.

In their announcement to release Spracklen, Rowing Canada also promoted coach John Keogh to the role of performance director for the women and Al Morrow as the head of the lightweight menB次元官网网址檚 program, which now moves from Elk Lake to London, Ont.

Spracklen, now 75 years old, and his wife Annie, have resided in Sidney full time since 2000, but still own a home in Marlow, just west of London, England, close to the famous Henley-On-Thames, the hallowed waters of of rowing.

ItB次元官网网址檚 hard to imagine that even in his later years, Spracklen wonB次元官网网址檛 have any high-performance opportunities come his way. His international resum茅 dates back to the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, where he helped BritainB次元官网网址檚 menB次元官网网址檚 double scull to silver. In the 1980s he coached Oxford to defeats of Cambridge in The Boat Race.

And even with the negative comments and controversy around him earning national press attention in the last two years, his time in Canada can hardly be called anything but a success.

SpracklenB次元官网网址檚 been part of seven gold medals for Canada since 1990, and in 2002 he was named the International Rowing Federation Coach of the Year as a Canadian coach.

B次元官网网址淚 will continue coaching somewhere, unlikely here,B次元官网网址� Spracklen said. B次元官网网址淚 will just grab my thoughts together and decide where I should go, or whatB次元官网网址檚 available to me.B次元官网网址�

Spracklen is fond of his time in Canada but is disappointed in Rowing CanadaB次元官网网址檚 decision.

B次元官网网址淚t only takes one person to think youB次元官网网址檙e not capable. There will always be athletes who donB次元官网网址檛 make the team and theyB次元官网网址檒l complain. ItB次元官网网址檚 something IB次元官网网址檝e dealt with all my life as every rowing coach has.B次元官网网址�