Rowing Australia: latest news

The Australian team for the 2010 World Rowing Championships has been named this morning at the Sydney International Regatta Centre.

Following three days of competition at the National Selection Trials, the national selectors have chosen 50 athletes to compete across 15 crews in the event at Lake Karapiro in New Zealand (31 October–7 November).

Australia won seven medals during the 2010 World Cup season and used this success as the building block for the World Championship crews.

2008 Beijing Olympic Games gold medallist in the men’s pair, Duncan Free (QLD), returns to the green and gold for the first time since Beijing. Following a break from competition in 2009, Free returned to the selection trials in April, but was forced to withdraw from World Cup selection due to injury.

Free, who was Australia’s leading sculler for more than a decade before forming an unbeatable combination with Drew Ginn in the men’s pair, will return to the single scull at the World Championships to re-introduce him back into international competition as part of preparation for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Leading the charge to New Zealand will be the women’s lightweight double scull crew of Hannah Every-Hall (QLD) and Alice McNamara (VIC), who were pre-selected ahead of the National Selection Trials after their gold medal in World Cup 3.

Every-Hall and McNamara have shown strong form across the 2010 season, both domestically and internationally, and enter the final eight weeks of preparation confident of a good showing across the Tasman.

The men’s eight crew has been targeted as the priority boat in the men’s sweep program and contains some changes from the crew that won a silver medal at World Cup 3. Coxswain Toby Lister (NSW), Joshua Dunkley Smith (VIC), Nicholas Purnell (NSW), Sam Loch (NSW) and Will Lockwood (VIC) retain their places in the boat after a successful World Cup tour that also saw them combine to win a gold medal at World Cup 2 in the men’s four.

Joining them in the eight will be the reigning Olympic and World Championship silver medallists in the men’s four, Francis Hegerty (NSW), Cameron McKenzie-McHarg (VIC), James Marburg (VIC) and Matt Ryan (NSW).

The men’s quad scull has also been restructured from the World Cup tour, with 2008 Beijing Olympian, James McRae (SA) returning to the crew alongside Daniel Noonan (NSW), David Crawshay (VIC) and Karsten Forsterling (VIC).

The women’s double scull features Kim Crow (VIC) and Kerry Hore (TAS), while Crow and Hore will double up at the World Championships, partnering with Sally Kehoe (QLD) and Brooke Pratley (NSW) in the women’s quad scull.

The men’s lightweight four remains the same from the World Cup tour, with Todd Skipworth (WA) set to stroke the crew also containing four times Olympian Anthony Edwards (TAS), Sam Beltz (TAS) and Blair Tunevitsch (TAS).

Ben Houlison (NSW) will aim to improve on his bronze medal at the 2009 World Rowing Championships in the arms only men’s single scull, while Kathryn Ross (VIC) and Grant Bailey (NSW) race together for the first time at World Championship level in the trunk and arms double scull, after winning a silver together at World Cup 1 in 2010.

Rowing Australia National High Performance Director Andrew Matheson says that he expects competition to be difficult in New Zealand.

“The World Championships always provides a week of tough racing but we believe we have selected a good group of athletes who have the potential to do very well in New Zealand,” Matheson said. “A number of our crews put their hands up during the World Cup tour and showed they have what it takes to beat the best rowers from across the world.”

Matheson also stated it was good to see Duncan Free back in the Australian team.

“Duncan is obviously one of Australia’s top rowers and to see him make his comeback will provide a big lift for the team. He is a great leader and his involvement with the entire group will have a positive effect.”

The Australian team will complete a six week training block ahead of a pre departure camp at the Sydney International Regatta Centre from 13–26 October.

Rowing Australia is pleased to announce the Australian crews selected to compete at the World Championships at Lake Karapiro, New Zealand, 30 October–7 November 2010.

Dan Noonan (Mosman/NSWIS)
James McRae (Murray Bridge/SASI)
David Crawshay (Mercantile/VIS/AIS)
Karsten Forsterling (Melbourne Uni/VIS)
Coach: John Driessen

Jared Bidwell (Uni of Queensland/AIS)
Nick Hudson (Sydney Uni/NSWIS)
Coach: Rhett Ayliffe

Joshua Dunkley-Smith (Mercantile/VIS/AIS)
Nicholas Purnell (Sydney Uni/NSWIS/AIS)
Sam Loch (Sydney Uni/NSWIS/AIS)
Will Lockwood (Melbourne Uni/VIS/AIS)
Cameron McKenzie-McHarg (Melbourne Uni/VIS)
Francis Hegerty (Sydney Uni/NSWIS/VIS)
Matthew Ryan (Sydney Uni/NSWIS/VIS)
James Marburg (Melbourne Uni/VIS)
Tobias Lister – Cox (Sydney Uni/NSWIS/AIS)
Coach: Noel Donaldson and Chris O’Brien

John Linke (Mercantile/VIS)
Fergus Pragnell (Sydney Uni/AIS)
Bryn Coudraye (Adelaide /AIS)
Bracketing – Dominic Grimm (Sydney RC/AIS) / Joshua Booth (Melbourne Uni)
Coach: Noel Donaldson and Chris O’Brien

Bracketing – Dominic Grimm (Sydney RC/AIS) / Joshua Booth (Melbourne Uni)
Tom Larkins (Melbourne Uni/AIS)
David Webster – Cox (Melbourne Uni/VIS)
Coach: Noel Donaldson and Chris O’Brien

Samuel Beltz (Lindisfarne/TIS)
Blair Tunevitsch (Tamar/TIS)
Todd Skipworth (Swan River/WAIS)
Anthony Edwards (New Norfolk/TIS)
Coach: Brett Crow

Perry Ward (Swan River/WAIS)
Ben Cureton (Swan River/WAIS)
Darryn Purcell (Toowong/QAS)
Nick Baker (Lindisfarne/TIS)
Alister Foot (Tamar/TIS)
Thomas Bertrand (Mercantile/VIS)
Angus Tyers (Melbourne Uni/VIS)
Ross Brown (Swan River/WAIS)
David Webster – Cox (Melbourne Uni/VIS)
Coach: Curtis Jordan and Lincoln Handley

Kim Crow (Melbourne Uni/VIS/AIS)
Brooke Pratley (Sydney Uni/NSWIS)
Kerry Hore (New Norfolk/TIS/AIS)
Sally Kehoe (Sydney Uni/AIS)
Coach: Lyall McCarthy
Assistant Coach: Jason Lane

Kim Crow (Melbourne Uni/VIS/AIS)
Kerry Hore (New Norfolk/TIS/AIS)
Coach: Lyall McCarthy
Assistant Coach: Jason Lane

Kate Hornsey (New Norfolk/Mercantile/VIS)
Pauline Frasca (Mercantile/VIS)
Sarah Cook (Sydney Uni/AIS)
Sarah Heard (Melbourne Uni/VIS)
Coach Bill Tait

Alice McNamara (Melbourne Uni/VIS)
Hannah Every-Hall (Dutton Park/QAS)
Coach: Laryssa Biesenthal

Kathryn Ross (Lakes Rowers/AIS)
Grant Bailey (Lakes Rowers/AIS)
Coach: Pedro Albisser

Renee Chatterton (Torrens/SASI)
Peta White (Torrens/SASI)
Michael McBryde (Uni of Qld/QAS)

Rowing Australia is pleased to announce the addition of Barnaby Eaton to its Board of Directors.

Mr Eaton joins the RA Board in the position of Board Appointed Director and will have a particular focus on the vitally important area of schools rowing.

Earlier this year the RA Board conducted a self assessment and identified a gap in current experience with school rowing, administration, management of school programs and the related transition of rowers from school to club rowing.

The Board sought expressions of interest to address this gap and Mr Eaton’s expertise and experience in the school environment was considered ideal to represent this fundamental section of the rowing community.

Mr Eaton is an experienced rowing professional having served the rowing community continuously for the past 19 years in a range of capacities including Board Director, Coach, Selector and Administrator as well as supervising school students to the National Championships each year between 1993 and 2004. He has also served on the Board of Rowing Queensland and is currently the Director of Rowing and the Director of Sport at Anglican Church Grammar (Churchie) in Brisbane.

Additionally, Mr Eaton holds significant coaching experience, having coached two Australian junior crews to medals in 1996 and 1997.

Mr Eaton will commence in his position today and Rowing Australia looks forward with great anticipation to his contribution to the RA Board and the broader Australia rowing community.

Australia’s most decorated Olympic rower, James Tomkins (VIC), has today announced his retirement from competitive rowing.

Tomkins, who represented Australia at six Olympic Games between 1988 and 2008, winning three gold medals and one bronze, turned 45 today and said the time was right to focus on the next stage in his life.

Tomkins won his first Olympic gold medal as part of the ‘Oarsome Foursome’ in the men’s four in 1992 in Barcelona, before going back-to-back in 1996 in Atlanta.

The Victorian won his third and final gold medal in the men’s pair at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, after picking up the bronze medal in Sydney in the same event four years earlier.

Tomkins, who rowed in the men’s eight in Beijing that finished in sixth place, was given the honour by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) of carrying the Australian flag at the opening ceremony.

During the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Tomkins was also elected Chairman of the AOC Athletes Commission.

“James has made and continues to make a unique contribution to the Australian Olympic Movement,” Coates said. “He is a true champion in every sense of the word and I wish him and his family the very best of luck for the future.”

Earlier this year Tomkins was awarded the prestigious Thomas Keller Medal by international rowing governing body FISA, which is awarded to one rower each year to recognise a particularly significant contribution and outstanding level of achievement in the sport of rowing.

He is also the only rower in history to have won World Championships in all sweep oar rowing events – men’s eight, men’s four, men’s coxed four, men’s coxed pair and men’s pair. He won a total of seven world championships, whilst he also won a gold medal at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in the men’s eight.

Former Oarsome Foursome coach and current Rowing Australia and AIS Men’s Head Coach, Noel Donaldson, says Tomkins’ impact on the sport is undeniable.

“I have been fortunate enough to be involved with James from the beginning to the end of his career, having originally coached James at schoolboy level,” Donaldson said. “The contribution he made to rowing and the excellence he achieved with his crew mates across two decades is second to none and he fully deserves his accolades as one of the greatest oarsman ever.

“The impact he has made in Australian rowing is underlined by the reaction of young guys who are involved in the team now. Some of them were not born when James started rowing, but they admire his achievements and aspire to reach his level.”

Rowing Australia CEO Andrew Dee says Tomkins established a legacy for rowing in Australia.

“James was part of that incredible group in the early 1990’s that transformed the sport of rowing in Australia, and one that also set new benchmarks for rowing internationally,” Dee said.

“His dedication to the sport for over two decades has been magnificent and on behalf of Rowing Australia and the entire Australian rowing community I would like to congratulate James on his career.”

Tomkins will now continue to pursue his ever growing role in the Melbourne business community and continue his work with the AOC Athletes Commission.

In wet and blustery conditions Australia has won a silver and bronze medal in the rowing at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

Olympia Aldersey (SA) and Emma Basher (SA) combined to win a silver medal in the women’s pair, while West Australian duo David Watts and Matt Cochran grabbed the bronze medal in the men’s pair.

Aldersey and Emma Basher had qualified in the top spot for today’s final but a virus that had bothered Basher for a few days, flared up overnight and it was touch and go as to whether they would even compete.

“I just asked the doc to get them to the start line,” coach Tom Morris said. “I knew they could do it from there.”

It was a tight for the full 1000 metres, with Australia sitting just outside the medals for the majority of the race.

“We’re stoked!” 18-year-old Aldersey said. “When we crossed the line, we thought we’d won bronze then when we found out it was silver we were ecstatic.”

“Great Britain got off to a good start and we just tried to hold them,” Basher said.

“We were coming fourth and we decided to step up when we had 400 metres to go.

“I made the call to step up the line, we released our secret weapon and gave it all we had.”

The girls powered home in three minutes 29.34 seconds, snaring a Youth Olympic silver medal just one second behind the Team GB rivals.

The most anticipated final of the day followed, with the men’s pairs lining up on the choppy Marina Bay waters for a shot at gold.

The Australian pair of Matthew Cochran and David Watts had the race of their life, finishing in 3:07.52 to take home bronze.

“We’ve been working so hard to get good results,” an elated and exhausted Cochran said.

The medal was the perfect end to great Youth Olympic campaign for the West Australian rowers.

“I couldn’t be happier,” David Watts said. “That was one of the best races we’ve put together. We stuck to the race plan and produced a medal. We’re really happy.”

Having dominated racing all week, and the recent Junior World Championships, the Greek pair of Michalis Nastopoulos and Apostolos Lampridis were tipped by all as the ones to beat.

“The Greeks came out strong from the start and we chased but we just couldn’t catch them,” Cochran said.

The Slovenian crew chased, and eventually caught the Greeks, crossing the line in first place with a scorching time of 3:05.65, edging them out by 1.2 seconds to grab gold.

Images courtesy Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee

Great Britain set the pace in the women’s pair with Australia lurking just behind

Emma Basher and Olympia Aldersey with their silver medals

The women’s pair medallists pose for the cameras

Watts and Cochran battle the choppy waters

Matt Cochran and David Watts celebrate bronze in the men’s pair

Rowing's first Youth Olympic Champions were crowned today at Marina Bay Reservoir in Singapore.

The inaugural Youth Olympic Regatta took place over four days, from 15 to 18 August, and assembled a total of 96 athletes from 45 nations competing in four boat classes: the Junior Women's Single Sculls (JW1x), the Junior Men's Single Sculls (JM1x), the Junior Women's Pair (JW2-) and the Junior Men's Pair (JM2-).

Nine nations medalled today, with Australia, Germany and Greece winning two medals each.

In the first final of the day, the Junior Women's Single Sculls (JW1x), the reigning Junior World Champion, Judith Sievers of Germany, made a huge surge in the last 500m, rowing past four competitors to grab gold. "It's so cool - I cannot express it with words! I'm so proud! It is history now to be the first Youth Olympic Champion [in rowing]," said Sievers.

In the Junior Men's Single Sculls (JM1x), Lithuania's Rolandas Mascinskas surprised the crowd of spectators by finishing ahead of two-time Junior World Champion Felix Bach of Germany.

Great Britain's Georgia Howard-Merrill and Fiona Gammond won the third gold medal of the day in the Junior Women's Pair (JW2-). "I did not even know we won, we're shocked! We did not realise we would be that fast," said Howard-Merrill.

And the final gold medal of the day was won by Slovenians Jure Grace and Grega Domanjko in the Junior Men's Pair (JM2-) who overtook reigning Junior World Champions from Greece in a massive sprint to the line. "I feel great, and great pain for the moment as well, but this is our reward for all the hard work," said Domanjko.

Despite the rain, the grandstands were full and very enthusiastic. There were several top sports leaders in attendance. FISA President and IOC Executive Board Member Denis Oswald joined IOC President Jacques Rogge, Chairman of the Youth Olympic Games Coordination Commission Sergei Bubka, IOC Vice President Thomas Bach, Executive Board Members Craig Reedie and John Coates as well as FISA Vice President and IOC member Anita DeFrantz, former FISA Council member and IOC member Ivan Dibos, IOC members Carlos Nuzman, Leo Wallner, Andre Bottero, Goran Petersson, Guy Drut, Chiharu Igaya, Gunilla Lindberg, Phil Coles, IOC Director General Urs Lacotte and Olympic gold medalist Katarina Witt. Many Presidents of National Olympic Committees including former rower and French NOC President Denis Masseglia, Greek NOC President Sypros Capralos, among others.

Highlights of the rowing finals on the Singapore 2010 YouTube Channel are expected soon. To view the rowing video highlights produced to date, please click on the links below.

For more information - FISA media contacts:
Marion Gallimore, Communications Manager - Marketing & TV
Tel: +41 21 617 83 73 or direct +41 21 612 02 26, mobile +41 79 706 72 55
E-mail: marion.gallimore@fisa.org

Debora Feutren, Communications Manager - Publications & Digital Media
mobile: +41 79 793 56 00
E-mail: debora.feutren@fisa.org

Australian University Sport media release:
More medals for Australia at the World University Champs

Australia has once again found success at a World University Championship event, this time picking up two bronze medals at the World University Championship Rowing in Szeged, Hungary.

Riley Owen and David Wright, both from the Australian National University, won bronze in the men’s double scull, finishing behind China and Germany, while Queensland duo Francesca Patterson (University of Queensland) and Peta-Lee Edington (Queensland University of Technology) also took bronze in the women’s double scull, won by Lithuania.

Australian University Sport High Performance Manager Siobhan James is excited to see the medal tally grow after these two great performances. “2010 is now the most successful World University Championship year for Australia in history, following medal winning performances in match racing, cross country, triathlon and now rowing – and we still have two more Championships to come” said Mrs James.

David Wright, ANU – Bronze – men’s double scull
Riley Owen, ANU – Bronze – men’s double scull
Francesca Patterson, UQ – Bronze – women’s double scull
Peta-Lee Eddington, QUT – Bronze – women’s double scull
Lachlan McKinnon, DEAK – 4th – men’s single scull B final
Angus Morton, UQ – 4th – men’s single scull B final

Gordon Marcks – Coach (Riley Owen and David Wright)
Andrew Cruickshank – Coach (Peta-Lee Eddington, Francesca Patterson and Angus Morton)
Alastair Isherwood – Coach (Lachlan McKinnon)

For further information please contact:
Sarah Wordsworth
Media & Marketing Coordinator
Australian University Sport
Telephone: +61 7 3876 2610 Facsimile: +61 7 3876 2620 Mobile: 0420 839 152
Email: sarah.wordsworth@unisport.com.au Website: www.unigames.com.au

It was a twin-turbo charged semi-final of the women’s rowing pairs this morning with Australia’s Olympia Aldersey and Emma Basher snatching prime position for tomorrow’s final at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

The South Australian duo blitzed the field to win their semi in a time of three minutes 36.83 seconds.

It was not just Singapore’s overwhelming humidity making people see double at the course today, with two sets of twins lining up in the Australian girls’ semi.

The Tikhanova sisters from Russia and the Misachenka sisters hailing from Belarus may have been carbon copies of each other but it counted for little on the water, where the Aussies showed you didn’t need to be identical to paddle in sync.

“It was what we wanted to achieve,” Basher said of the convincing win. “We came in first and that’s what we wanted so we’re really happy.”

The Aussies edged out Greece and Hungary to take the win, with both sets of twins relegated to the B-final.

Happy with their race and their ultimate result, Basher and Aldersey are not complacent about tomorrow’s final.

“We had a steering issue,” Aldersey explained, “We headed for the buoy and overcompensated. We didn’t think it would be an issue so we’re going to have to bear it in mind for tomorrow’s final.”

In the other women’s semi, Italy were the heroes producing a solid victory in 3:37.29 ahead of Romania and Great Britain. Interestingly, the New Zealand crew who the Aussies had pipped as the ones to beat failed to make the A-final.

“It just shows you don’t know what is going to happen, so it makes it even more exciting,” Basher said. “You can’t judge the race on how big boats go and also the different distance.”

In the men’s semi-finals that followed, Australia’s David Watts and Matthew Cochran also crossed the line in first place, in a time of 3:18.50.

“We came away with the result we wanted but we have a few things to work on,” Watts said.

“It’s always good to come out on top and hopefully we can do that again in the final,” Cochran added.

The Australian crew posted the fourth fastest time overall with Greece again dominating the race. The Greek and Australian crews will line up against Great Britain, Turkey, Slovenia and Serbia in tomorrow’s final, all hoping for a spot on the podium.