“Not much of an athlete at all...” was a bit much.

I am doing rowing myself and I know it is really hard to keep a boat in balance alone. So it is very remarkable he learnt it in this short amount of time.

Coming in at that time with only 3 months of rowing is actually very impressive. I know people who have dedicated years and still struggle to hit the 8:30 mark. Makes me wonder what he could do if he had significantly more time to train.

Tldr: “the medalists grinded for decades, but everyone actually cared about this guy no one knew and was really slow” .......... ok buddy

He remembers me the Jamaican Bobsled Team (Coldrunners) in Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics. Both stories inspire other athletes in underdeveloped countries to have the opportunity to practice some sport modality and, eventually, have a chamce to represent their countries the Olympic Games. Amazing!

Come on we all start from somewhere, at least he tried.

I think this was a bit disrespectful to this guy, particularly the tail end. But I also think these guys shouldn't be competing if they can't row a respectable time. You should have to medal in a regional regatta (at least) to qualify.

As nice as this story sounds, it’s really disrespectful to other rowers that have dedicated years of practicing hours a day almost every day throughout the year. They put so much time and effort and some wildcard that began rowing for 3 months gets to go to the Olympics while others who’ve dedicated their life to the sport can’t compete

As much as the elites would have preferred to take the slot,its more to do with cultivating a sport.And yes we would all want the best of the pack in the Olympics,but sport should be inspiring of people without access to similar exposure as well as those with the access...so yes those who clocked better times in their 15 teenage selves should be proud and rather get better to get the slots for the elite...while those from countries with zero experience should get inspired to understand the potential of developing an elite team to get on the world stage...again 3months compared to years of experience combined with the right resources to me speaks potential.Lets develop the sport in countries that are new to it...we might be telling a different story in time.Proud Issaka!Well done Brother!

I'm sure his participation increased interest in the sport in his country and the neighboring countries. I love the Olympics because it's about giving people hope and inspiring youth to dream. Also, how often do you see people from poorer countries in rowing, sailing...any other sport that requires quite a lot of money/resources. Although they have A standards for time for the other athletes, I don't think his time was TOO terrible - just a couple minutes off the leading time so I think the wildcard entry was totally fine given what it achieved - didn't interfere with the other athletes' performance and it was hugely inspiring and entertaining to the public. Yay!

he's like that British skiing guy

I was there as a military (RAF) volunteer, watching from the stands, the atmosphere was absolutely electric during this race, the main commentator told the crowd about Hamadou and how he had got to the event and even though all the other rowers were in having their showers the crowd erupted with applause and whistles when he finished the race. WE ALL LOVE AN UNDER DOG!

This is me when I ran distance in track. Painfully slow and clapped in as I finished ever race in dead last. Ugh.....

I was very proud to be British watching the 2012 games and seeing the huge support given to the Olympians from other nations who were never going to win medals but competed with pride. The politics of who should compete are another matter. It is hard on whoever missed out, but also important that the Olympics inspires & ensures broad representation. If every sport were decided purely on merit, some events would feature only 1-3 countries, which is not in the spirit of the games.

Look, a bunch of ignorant people in the comment that call the guy disrespectful for being at the Olympics and don't know what Olympic Tripartite Commission Invitation Places are... smh :')

bruh every j 18 single sculler at nats this year beat his times

This is totally BS. How can a guy that started rowing 3 months prior to the Olympics, be allowed to compete? What about all the other guys who dedicated their life to the sport and didn't get the same opportunity?

Nice to know that this guy beat someone who has put thousands of hours into the sport for years... wonderful

Love this storey, just imagine if he had the chance to train young and in the same environments as the other contestants. Reminds me of Eddie the eel! Epic

Great stuff.

Sounds like I’m going to the Olympics guys

Sir Redgrave was totally right, he shouldn’t be allowed to compete. Simply because of giving him a wildcard, an elite rower from from Europe was not able to compete. Olympic wildcards are total bullshit.

This is ridiculous LMAO

Ahh... For being new, he did great despite not winning 1st,2nd, or 3rd place.

Hero... In his way... Olympic spirit say: the importance is to participate

Always remember the words of Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic games : "l'essentiel est de participer" (the most important thing is to take part.). At that's make good movies too, remember "Rasta Rocket" ...

When i started rowing i couldnt even set foot in a single for a year. This time with 3 months training is mind blowing

I feel like it's unfair to him because the olympic committee invited him to race in the first place so I don't think it's fair to hate on him for being there.

What is the music?

He's just like the Eric the Eel. Sometimes Olympic committe put their brain at their knees.

PROUD OF YOU HAMADOU

Bet I could run the slowest time in the 100m final.

aw man 3:55 gets me

Remember Kenya and Ethiopia 1956, of course no one does. They won nothing, they were like this guy. 1960 first Ethiopian won a Gold medal and now we know what happened to your so called good sporting nations who can't compete in long distances running anymore.

oh come on... the end of this video is just laughing about him

Huge respect to Issaka the Otter and Eric the Eel 🙏🙏🙏🥰

not much of an athlete at all? I would like to see *you* try sculling, dear narrator, let's see if you can get anywhere near a competitive time.

Issaka, LEGEND.

the narrator is being sarcastic lol

The commentator is pretty harsh 😤 3 months is not much time in rowing, I just uploaded some single scull training videos actually 👍

Woow there seems to be a lot of professional rowers in the comments, may I ask what your pb was after only three months of rowing??

I think it is fine that this guy was able to perform at the Olympics. At a regional/national level, he was not contested. Throwing him into the deep end in a competition like this would show him how far he still has to go if he wants to be among the best. Glorifying his subpar performance, however, is unnecessary. He could have taken the games as a failure and used it as motivation to improve, but the crowd and media loving exclusively him would've at least planted the idea in his mind that he can be successful by being just a mediocre athlete.

C'mon, it highlights the sport and widens interest in it, so that certain sports aren't restricted to specific countries. This is a good thing, dunno why guys are are bitching. I wouldn't be watching this video if it wasn't for Hamadou

Honestly, it's not that great of a story. Yea sure it's nice to give random people chances at great things, but this guy showed up to the wrong event. Taking the spot of a rower from anywhere in the world who has likely spent 25+ years in a single skull, and who dreams of the Olympics isn't really that touching of a story. And come on, 8 and a half minute 2k? I was doing better than that when I was 15 years old. If you're gonna give a "wild card" out, at least give it to somehow who shows true love, passion, and Olympic-level skill in the subject; instead, this guy comes to the Olympic games in MENS SINGLE SKULL (maybe the most fierce and intense event you can get at the Olympics) after only stepping foot in his first boat 3 months prior!!

*everyone* capsizes on their first attempt...

Yeah no I know high school rowers in my area who’ve pulled faster than that. I could probably pull faster than that tbh. (Rower for 3 years)

I really don't like stories like this. Public opinion loves stories of sportsman who came from exotic country, take the last place and is shown by media as example of "Olimpic spirit". It works espacially during winter games. In the same time everybody seems to be delighted by ski runner from Africa, who isn't actually able to compete, while (I'd give example from my country - Poland) disrespecting alpine skier who took 45 place in 60-people rate, and saying that "he shouldn't be there for our money" For me, example of real athlete is somebody who trains whole his life, to became best in his country, and without money resources comparable to elite still tries to compete with them, and lose 2-3 sec. Not somebody who just came for fun and can't even try to compete on regular level. I hope my reasoning logic, despite my english ;)

Well, when I ran cross country race for the first time I was 38 out of 40 n I thought I was fast 😬😜🤷🏽‍♀️

I hope he has a movie about him and that it’s in French

Typical old British superiority attitude of Redgrave, with no true olympic spirit along with those negative comments below. The true spirit is to promote sports and sportmanship to all countries who may not have the opportunity to take part. It can help transform a smaller nation and show them how important it is to put money into equipment, building gymnasiums club houses or swimming pools etc..Issaka will have met so many ppl with huge amounts of knowledge which he will feed back into his system, to the coaches, younger athletes and his government. Introducing the Wildcard is the best thing that the Olympics have every done. Knowing you are not of an excellent standard and then to compete takes guts and a belief that they are also doing it for their country.

On what planet was this the crowd's favorite rower?

Not any kind of Cinderella story here. It's like if the ATP invited a beginner tennis player to play Roger Federer in the US Open. Just completely pointless and kind of offensive to the real competitors who have actually suffered and sacrificed for decades. And the blame lies on the IOC, not on the amateur athlete

That ore hight

Needs work on his form.

Would be interesting to hear redgraves opinion on fellow Brit eddy the eagle

I know 12 year olds that row better than him...

最後ぜったい沈したやろ？！

While he shouldn't have been there its still pretty good for three months of rowing.

What?

Muy legal 🙌

Mahe Drysdale is my teacher's son

That’s the spirit of the Olympic Games. Every Country has the right to send its athletes, and they don’t need to be champions.

I don't see why people favored him. Nothing to see here..

Proud! Well done Osaka!

Ah, this is so cool !

Can we stop the comments about how he could have been actually good... like no. Anyone who actually rows knows that is an atrocious time. I am 16 and did a 3200m piece in three foot white capped waves and crazy headwind and went about the same speed as this guy. He should not have been allowed on the olympic course because most of my high school rowing team could beat him.

This angers me

I don’t thing he was well prepared. If prepared, I think he would have thrived

‘Not much of an athlete at all’ um doing 4 2ks on a world stage after only 3 months in a boat is a massive feat

i doubt you can do it in 9minutes.. hes the best from his country and will get better

Главное не победа а участие в играх👍

Underdog stories are inspiring

he stared 3 months ago and still didnt embarrassing himself and was not toooooo far behind all things considered.

eddie the eagle another example

He has an athletic body stop shaming him

This is a little disrespectful.

At least he has the b…s to compete no matter what the cost.

What what what???? I still cant understand what this person in the video want to convey!!! This event will always be remembered due to the winners

He's making a mockery of the Olympics.

Hes very brave

Hamoudoooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

he may be a athlete but he doesn’t deserve to get a wild card for olympics in other water sports many professional athletes are not able to compete there only because someone decided to give insanely small amount of quotes (5) for pre olympic year world championship and 2 more in olympic qualification in the olympic year (the amout of professional athletes who deserve to be in the olympics is around 18 with almost the same results) and I think 3-4 more wild cards of countrys like this so they are just tourists what is the point of not letting professionals to compete and let people who are trained 3 months in their life this sport lol.....

Im a lightweight woman. I go faster than that

Is this sarcasm

Here from Gina

They send him to olimpics jast because they can, and he make fool of himself. My best time in 1987 in 1x was 7m11s, and i wasn't even dreaming compete in Olympics. And it took him 9min to finish 2000m. What a joke.

Redgrave only see olympic as a place to win medal every 4 years....he should know better, but ig he become cocky with his medals

Now this is the Movie I want to see if ever made.

Whether you believe rower's passion or not is up to you.

It’s silly. Like a parent letting their kid win a game. It’s a sympathy entry. Did he know how fast the others were before racing?

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

I hate this kind of stupid emotional criteria. so, why not me? I’m a lot better than this guy, and I also come from a Third World country.

Im early!!

Given the conditions he was very fast. Coming within 2 mins of Gold position in 5 months - simply wow

those times are really impressive though for only 3 months of rowing. he’ll become an elite athlete in no time if he sticks with it

I wait for a film with Elizabeth Swaney

It's funny that I, a 14 year old boy row faster in mens single than him

Shoulda listened to Redgrave.

He is a legend honestly like if yu agree

Issaka lost because the negative commentary of the commentator manifested his loss ...let’s see the commentator row!!