Put your hand up if you’ve heard of Australian rower Peter Hardcastle.

No one? I thought so. What about Amber Bradley? Thought not.

The reason we haven’t heard of them is because the media has been so captivated by Sally Robbins, our other rowers have faded away into relative anonymity. Do you know Sally Robbins? Of course you do.

She’s the chick who stopped rowing during the final of the women’s eight at Athens four years ago.

They will never come out and say so publicly, but quietly our other rowers must be a little disgruntled that Sally got all the attention during the recent Olympic trials, which seemed to go on longer than the last cricket glacial World Cup.

When the squad was (finally) announced yesterday, Robbins missed the boat.

Plenty within the rowing fraternity are understood to be relieved at her non-selection, because it will avoid the media circus from continuing at Beijing.

Not since the ‘Oarsome Foursome’ has an Australian rower been a household name.

The difference is, James Tomkins and co. earned their celebrity status by winning a gold medal in one of the Olympic’s most competitive sports (as well as those Goulburn Valley fruit ads).

They didn’t do so by quitting earlier than a council worker on a Friday afternoon like our Sally.

Since the rowing trials began, every story that has dropped on our wire here at the Daily has detailed how Robbins fared in the opening few paragraphs.

Regardless of whether she performed or not.

The media’s glorified stalking of Robbins is just the latest example of famous athletes receiving more recognition then their accomplishments deserved.
How many tournaments did tennis babe Anna Kournikova win?

The same as the number of women Elton John has slept with.

Or Barry Bonds, who only beat Major League Baseball’s home run record because, as Moe on the Simpsons would put it, was ‘hyped up on goof-balls’.

Now, before the lady who came into the Sunshine Coast Daily’s office to express her disgust the last time I wrote something about Robbins gets all worked up again, this column doesn’t intend to slander her reputation.

The ‘lay down Sally’ incident was four years ago.
Everyone deserves a second chance.
And hopefully every rowing scribe in the country can move on.

In a way I wouldn’t be surprised if Robbins isn’t entirely unhappy about missing the team.

She can now also move on and return to a normal life, without having a camera or microphone shoved in her face every two minutes.

And now hopefully her fellow rowers that have achieved more, like Hardcastle and Bradley, can enjoy their time in the sun.

And maybe appear in a few tinned fruit commercials of their own.