Looking for an Edge

This quote speaks volumes about the what it is to prepare to be the best. It is from a great book called "Winning Attitudes"
“For us, it was definitely quality. A simple scenario: we race over two kilometers and take about 220 to 240 strokes per race. Our aim in training was to work on various aspects of our preparation so that on race day, our boat would go half an inch faster per stroke that every stroke of our opposition. We knew that we weren’t the biggest or strongest guys in the competition, so we had to look at other ways of generating boat speed; this in a sport that is built on strength and endurance. So our focus was on our quality and efficiency of movement, particularly in our technique. If you look at the margin we won by in Atlanta, it equated to roughly two-thirds of a send per stroke quicker that the second boat.”
Nick Green rower, one of the famous Australian ‘Oarsome Foursome’ who won the Gold Medal in Atlanta