The Australian Olympic Committee has selected a 37-strong team across nine boats to contest the Olympic rowing regatta at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium in Paris.
The team features six athletes making their third Olympic Team, 20 heading to their second Games and 11 debutants. The team celebrated their announcement at a team event in Varese, Italy, near their European Training Centre base, where athletes have been putting the final polish on their Olympic preparation.
With 23 women and 14 men, the squad features seven Olympic gold medallists and a further four who won bronze in Australian rowing’s famed ‘Hour of Power’ at Tokyo 2020.
And while 26 athletes return from the Tokyo regatta, many are heading to Paris in a different boat.
Tokyo Olympic champions in the Men’s Four, Alexander Purnell OAM, Jack Hargreaves OAM and Spencer Turrin OAM, will now row in the Eight, while Women’s Four champions Anabelle McIntyre OAM and Jessica Morrison OAM will crew the Pair. Lucy Stephan OAM also moves from the Four to the Women’s Eight.
Australian rowers first appeared at an Olympics in 1912, and then every Games since Paris 1924, meaning Paris 2024 will mark 100 years of Australian rowing’s continuous participation in the Olympic rowing regatta.
The team enters Paris on a high after finishing on top of the medal tally at Rowing World Cup III in Poland earlier this month, where they claimed 11 medals out of 13 events, including six gold.
It was a strong way to round out their racing preparation after previous hit out in Rowing World Cup II, which saw a number of the new crews make their international racing debut.
Chef de Mission Anna Meares congratulated the athletes on their selection.
“Rowing is such an integral part of Australia’s Olympic history and I’m thrilled to announce the 37 athletes who will proudly row at the Olympic regatta in Paris,” Ms Meares said.
“To make an Australian Olympic Rowing Team takes incredible strength, determination and skill.
“From returning Olympic champions to Olympic debutants, each of these athletes have earned their place in Paris, with years of work to put them in a position to write Australia’s next chapter of Olympic rowing.
“Rowing Australia have built such an impressive high-performance environment and I want to thank and congratulate the entire team for helping prepare this world class team.”
Rowing Australia Chief Executive Sarah Cook, who rowed for Australia at the 2008 and 2012 Games, said being selected for the Team was the ultimate reward after years of dedication, focus and commitment.
“Our rowers train three times a day, six days a week, and commit themselves above and beyond, all with the goal of having their name on the Australian Olympic Team,’ Mrs Cook said.
“On behalf of everyone at Rowing Australia, I offer my sincere congratulations and know they will do themselves, their family and their country proud in Paris.”
AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC ROWING TEAM - PARIS 2024
WOMEN
Women’s Single Scull (W1x) Tara Rigney (Sydney University Boat Club)
Women’s Double Scull (W2x) Amanda Bateman (Melbourne University Boat Club), Harriet Hudson (Sydney Rowing Club)
Women’s Pair (W2-) Annabelle McIntyre OAM (Fremantle Rowing Club), Jessica Morrison OAM (Mercantile Rowing Club)
Women’s Quad Scull (W4x) Caitlin Cronin (University of Queensland Boat Club), Laura Gourley (UTS Haberfield Rowing Club), Rowena Meredith (Sydney University Boat Club), Ria Thompson (University of Queensland Boat Club)
Women's Four (W4-) Olympia Aldersey (UTS Haberfield Rowing Club), Lily Alton (University of Queensland Boat Club), Molly Goodman (Adelaide Rowing Club), Jean Mitchell (Melbourne University Boat Club)
Women's Eight (W8+) Paige Barr (Mercantile Rowing Club), Bronwyn Cox (University of Western Australia), Sarah Hawe (Sydney Rowing Club), Giorgia Patten (West Australian Rowing Club), Georgina Rowe (UTS Haberfield Rowing Club), Lucy Stephan OAM (Melbourne University Boat Club), Jacqueline Swick (Swan River Rowing Club), Hayley Verbunt – Coxswain (Mercantile Rowing Club), Katrina Werry (Mercantile Rowing Club)
MEN
Men’s Pair (M2-) Patrick Holt (UTS Haberfield Rowing Club), Simon Keenan (Melbourne University Boat Club)
Men’s Four (M4-) Fergus Hamilton (Mercantile Rowing Club), Alexander Hill OAM (Adelaide Rowing Club), Tim Masters (UTS Haberfield Rowing Club), Jack Robertson (Mercantile Rowing Club)
Men’s Eight (M8+) Kendall Brodie – Coxswain (Sydney Rowing Club), Ben Canham (Melbourne University Boat Club), Angus Dawson (Adelaide Rowing Club / University of California Berkeley), Jack Hargreaves OAM (Sydney University Boat Club), Josh Hicks (Sydney Rowing Club), Joseph O’Brien (Sydney University Boat Club), Alexander Purnell OAM (Sydney University Boat Club), Spencer Turrin OAM (Sydney Rowing Club), Angus Widdicombe (Mercantile Rowing Club)
RESERVES
Men's Sweep Reserve Jackson Kench (Sydney University Boat Club)
Women's Sweep Reserve Samantha Morton (Sydney Rowing Club)
Women's Scull Reserve Kathryn Rowan (Sydney University Boat Club)
The Rowing competition will be held at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium from July 27 July to August 3.