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Laila Youssifou has been rowing from an early age. In her birthplace Almere she was not yet aware of the “reasonably white environment” in rowing, but when she moved to Delft for her studies it became clear to her. “I was first faced with jokes about being colored, which I thought was a very strange sensation.”
She refused to give up rowing and already made it to the Tokyo Olympics, where she finished sixth in the final with the double four. Now she forms a duo with Roos de Jong in the double sculls at the European championships. Her rowing partner is a great champion of a cultural change in the sport.
Homogeneous, white sport
“You can see that rowing is quite a white sport,” said De Jong, who is part of the inclusion committee of the rowing association. “And there are a lot of highly educated people, because it’s very much connected to student culture and student associations.”
Research by the committee in which De Jong is a member has shown that rowing consists of a homogeneous group. “But it is precisely the people who do not completely fall within that homogeneous picture, feel less at home in the sport and are faced with jokes and prejudices.”
Youssifou also noticed that there are prejudices. “It’s not an issue for me that I’m colored, but what I found very striking and also poignant is that it is always very noticeable to others.”
“That’s pretty crazy, that you don’t necessarily feel different, but that others apparently see it that way,” explains the 26-year-old rower. “I found that quite difficult myself. And I still have that I am of my own accord when such a comment is made.”
Deep rooted
According to De Jong, rowing still has a long way to go. “It’s very ingrained and I think it’s also going to take a lot of time and energy to change it from within.”
However, she is already noticing some change. “Within our team you can already notice that the conversation is starting. People are becoming more aware of what the rowing culture is. That things you say may seem funny or normal to yourself at first, but that you actually hurt people with it.”
Rowers fight for diversity and inclusion: ‘Jokes and prejudices harrowing’
In any case, it clicks between De Jong and Youssifou. “We reinforce each other in a very natural way,” says De Jong. After a quiet start – both rowers decided to focus mainly on their studies in the post-Olympic year – De Jong and Youssifou are now working on a dream season.
They won the first two World Cups and are now one of the top favorites at the European Championships in Munich, which kick off next Thursday.
“We have not actually seen the Romanians yet”, De Jong refers to the Olympic champion in the double sculls. “I would describe them as top favourites, but I hope not anymore at the end of the season.”
We also look ahead to the upcoming European Championship with skiffer Karolien Florijn
Florijn in top form to row to European Championships: ‘Hope to be on the highest step’
