Sunday 28 June
Next stop ... Brive
The National Junior Team wrapped up their last preparation camp on Sunday 28 June, before gathering again in Penrith for their final tune up prior to departure to the World Championships in Brive, France.
The squad has been in camp at the NRCE for the last nine days undergoing intensive technique and race strategy/pacing sessions under the watchful eye of Elite Development Coordinator, Peter Shakespear and NTID Coordinator, Wayne Diplock.
The final sessions included hit outs over 500m and 1250m that focused on specific sections of each crew's race strategy.
“The week has been really intensive” commented John Bowes, coach of the JM4+. “But having so many rowing sessions over the nine days, we have been able to make some significant improvements."
Coaches Dave Milne (JM4-), Lincoln Handley (JM4x) and Jamie Jones (JW4x) were of the same opinion. National Head Women’s coach Lyall McCarthy said that the ability to view and influence the next generation of elite athletes is one of the benefits of the new NRCE.
“We have made some significant changes in the way we select Juniors, and this is giving us a chance to develop athletes with real long term potential” he said. “In effect we are ‘hot housing’ the talent pool of the future. Putting the best coaches with the best athletes, in the best conditions. Then, when athletes return to their home coach and clubs, they are able to influence and lift the standard of all aspiring athletes in every state."
“We are really looking forward to racing overseas” commented Shakespear. “We are quietly expectant, but know that we have some tough opposition. The Germans are always good, as are the Italians, Brits and old Soviet states. But we have a clear strategy and very clear targets. Once we get into the warm summer weather, jump into our new Sykes boats and new Croker oars and then hit the World Championship water, we will be ready to mix it up with anyone!”
The National Junior Team gather in Penrith in the third week of July for final preparations prior to the World Championships in Brive, France, 5–8 August.
** Sykes Racing and Croker Oars are proud sponsors of the National Under 23 and Junior Teams.
Junior crews race off over a high speed 500m piece on Lake Burley Griffin under the watchful eyes of Team coaching staff
Thursday 25 June
RA media release:
Team Toowoomba set sights on World Championships
Toowoomba rowers Sally Kehoe and Pippa Savage have today been confirmed as the women’s double scull for the 2009 World Rowing Championships.
Kehoe suffered a rib injury shortly before the selection trials in April, which delayed the selectors’ decision in naming a crew.
But following a solid five week training block and an impressive performance at a trial regatta last weekend, the Rowing Australia Board this morning ratified their selection.
Kehoe and Savage both made their Olympic debuts in Beijing last year, with Kehoe part of the women’s eight and Savage rowing the women’s single scull.
But with Kehoe switching back to scull rowing, and the selectors placing priority on the women’s double scull, the two will come together to form a formidable crew.
Kehoe was crowned junior world champion in the women’s double scull in 2003, before claiming the junior single scull crown one year later. In her senior world championships debut in 2005, she won a bronze medal in the women’s double scull, before a silver medal in the women’s quad scull in 2006.
Savage meanwhile will compete for Australia for the first time in a crew boat, after making her international debut last year in the women’s single scull.
Savage qualified the boat for the Olympics at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in June last year, and made the B Final in Beijing, an excellent achievement for her first international season.
Savage says she is looking forward to combining with Kehoe.
“It is really ironic to think that we both went to the same primary school, Toowoomba Prep., and now 15 or so years later we will race at the World Championships together,” Savage said.
“I was about five years ahead of Sally but vaguely remember her from school. It is great that we have both come so far in our rowing, especially considering rowing is not a sport offered in Toowoomba!”
Despite not competing in any of the world cups this season, the pair has been keeping a close eye on competition.
“We have had a bit of a look at the results in the first two world cups, but have mainly been focusing on our own training,” Savage continued. “There are some really strong double crews out there this year.
“Great Britain, Poland, Romania and Germany will be the crews to beat, but we hope to give them a pretty good run.”
Savage and Kehoe will continue to train in Brisbane for the next two weeks before heading to Sydney in the second week of July and remaining there until they depart for the World Championships.
The World Championships will be held in Poznan, Poland from August 23–30.
For more information please call David Polglase on 0401 453 041
Monday 22 June
Australian Junior crews gather in Canberra
National Junior crews have gathered at the NRCE for Junior Camp 2 amid a flurry of racing activity for all National Teams conducted over the mid-June weekend.
The camp is part of the redesigned National Team training process for Juniors, that sees crews come together for regular camps and intensive training with crew coaches — all under the watchful eyes of Elite Development Manager, Peter Shakespear and NTID Senior Coordinator, Wayne Diplock.
“It’s a new methodology we now have for the training of National Junior crews” said Shakespear. Very much it's based around selection of the best long-term talent and then placing them in crews, no matter where they live or with whom they train in their home clubs. We want the talent to shine through, and make sure that we put the plan in place that lets them form crew combination and rhythm before they travel overseas."
The Junior Team competes in Brive, France during 5 to 8 August. While uncomfortable to be drawn on how the team will perform, Shakespear and Diplock stressed that the main aim of Junior selection needs to remain the focus of our expectations.
“We need to develop athletes with Olympic medal-winning characteristics, and that means long-term development for the future. Any success we get in the short term is a real bonus on top of that main goal".
The Junior Team is in camp at the NRCE until Sunday June 28th. Members of the Junior Women’s Four having already completed their camp in Murray Bridge, Adelaide last week, to cope with exam commitments of crew members.
The Men's Junior 4- of Tom Chapman, Michael Poulter, Daniel Brighthope, Tom Gatti (coach Dave Milne) in action during training on Lake Burley Griffin
Monday 22 June
FISA media release:
Germany puts on strong performance at 2009 Rowing World Cup in Munich, Germany
Sunday 21 June
More than 550 rowers from 37 nations competed at the second stage of the 2009 Rowing World Cup series on the 1972 Olympic regatta course near Munich, Germany, this weekend. Today, athletes raced in the Finals of the 14 Olympic boat classes.
Germany earned the highest number of points for their country (69), winning 11 medals, five of them gold. This places Germany in second position in the overall standings of the Rowing World Cup with a total of 83 points.
Although New Zealand arrived in Europe for the racing season just one week ago, they impressed with a strong team and won a total of seven medals, four of them gold. They finish this regatta with 50 points, in fourth position overall.
Great Britain made it to the top of the points table at the first stage of the 2009 Rowing World Cup in Banyoles, Spain. This weekend in Munich, British crews qualified for the Final in each of the 14 Olympic boat classes, and although they won fewer medals and fewer points than in Banyoles, Great Britain won 67 points and still continue to lead the Rowing World Cup with an overall total of 161.
Poland are in third position overall, having won 28 points in Banyoles and 32 in Munich.
New Zealand's Eric Murray and Hamish Bond won gold in the men's pair ahead of Andrew Triggs Hodge and Peter Reed, one of Great Britain's most promising crews. In the men's double sculls, two German crews and one Kiwi crew finished in the top three medal positions, with Great Britain's gold medallists in Banyoles, Matthew Wells and Stephen Rowbotham, back in fourth. A new crew from New Zealand and a new crew from Germany in the women's pair proved their talent by taking gold and bronze respectively - Banyoles gold medallists in this boat class, Olivia Whitlam and Louisa Reeve from Great Britain, finished fifth. Germany took both a gold and a silver in the men's four ahead of Great Britain's new-look crew in bronze. Placing a new women's quad on the water, Germany proved its strength by winning gold ahead of Great Britain's crew in silver and New Zealand in bronze. Germany also won both the men's and women's eights, in front of a delighted home crowd.
The Rowing World Cup series was launched in 1997 and includes all 14 Olympic boat classes. The overall Rowing World Cup winners are determined after a series of three regattas. Germany has dominated the series since its beginning twelve years ago, but Great Britain has led the medals table for the past two years. This year, the three stages of the series are held in Banyoles, Spain (29-31 May), Munich, Germany (19-21 June); and the final in Lucerne, Switzerland (10-12 July).
Visit the official website of the International Rowing Federation (FISA) and the Rowing World Cup www.worldrowing.com for race reports, results, points & rankings and the photo gallery.
For more information - FISA media contact:
Marion Gallimore, Marketing and Communications Manager
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
Sunday 21 June
National A and B team crews fire up around the country
National U23 and Open crews are in the middle of an intensive three-day racing block in training centres around Australia.
The aim is to replicate pre-competition preparation and racing at the World Cup regatta being held in Munich, Germany this weekend.
Crews are gathering in Adelaide, Melbourne and Penrith to measure themselves against the clock and their peers.
In Penrith at the Sydney International Regatta Centre, both Men's Open and Under 23 eights are going head-to-head to fine tune their race rhythm and preparation.
Along with the Women's LW2x, U23W4x, Men's 4-, and Adaptive Men's Singlescull, are other crews still hoping to win the endorsement of the selectors for RA Board approval as members of the 2009 Australian Team.
“This weekend is a great measuring stick for us. It gives us a real measure of what we still need to do to be nominated,” said Pedro Albisser, National Adaptive Head Coach. “Ben Houlison, who is already selected, continues to improve and, in fact, has topped the prognostic table in both races against all comers. Importantly also, the LTA4+ now have a tangible target for their final assessment race in mid July.”
In Melbourne both A and U23 LW Fours go head to head-to-head and in Adelaide the U23M4x andU23LW4x are also under the spotlight.
National Head Coach Men, and ‘SenA’ Men's Eight coach, Noel Donaldson, said that the weekend’s racing is invaluable. “In year 1 of the Olympiad, we have taken the strategic decision not to race at the World Cups. That’s by design and so to ‘compensate’ we have scheduled these hit outs to ensure that all crews understand the timelines ahead of them and focus on performance outcomes.”
This weekend's mini regatta takes place just as the National Junior Team again enter the AIS for training camp 2, under the oversight of Elite Development Manager and U23/Junior Team Head Coach, Peter Shakespear.
National Race Weekend 2 will take place on July 10 to 12 as part of the Youth Cup Regatta at SIRC, and as part of the Under 23 Team's pre-departure camp.
All Senior A and Under 23 crews will be in attendance in July.
Crews line up at SIRC ready for their 2nd 2000m race
Foreground: W2x of Pipa Savage and Sally Kehoe (vying for selection), John Trovas (AIS), Libby Alderman/Emily Rose (AW4-), Megan Bagworth (AIS), and Laura Osti (AW4-)
Thursday 18 June
Tasmanian Institute of Sport (TIS) Head Coach named
The long-awaited successor to Olympic gold medal-winning coach Rhett Ayliffe has now been appointed to the TIS.
Brett Crow recently took up the reins in the Head Coach position and has been full-speed ahead since arriving in the Apple Isle.
Crow comes from New Zealand with impressive credentials, having coached NZ’s Men's Four from 2003–05 and winning gold and silver medals with the much-heralded Junior Men's eights.
Crow was formerly Head Coach at the Waikato Regional Performance Center (SIS/SAS equivalent in NZ).
Recently, Crow travelled to the NRCE for an intensive briefing process by key staff involved in the national program, and to view national crews training on Lake Burley Griffin.
National High Performance Director, Andrew Matheson commented that Crow will add a significant level of hands-on coaching expertise and experience to the TIS.
“We are really pleased to have a coach of Brett’s calibre in our national system. He will provide great focus and energy for Tasmania’s elite athletes and coaches. In welcoming Brett, we also need to acknowledge the incredible effort of Ron Batt in ‘holding the fort’ prior to Crow’s appointment. Now we are all set up, we are sure these two coaches will work extremely well together to deliver the National Program in Tasmania."
We welcome Brett and family, and wish him well for his future in Australia.
Thursday 18 June
Sam Irvine returns to rowing and steps into the NRCE’s AIS Rowing Program as Sport Coordinator
After a stint away from his former role of High Performance Assistant at RA, Sam Irvine will take up his new position on Monday 22nd June.
The position will include management and administration of the AIS scholarship program, the NRCE Canberra-based camps, and management of NRCE facilities.
In welcoming Sam, we acknowledge the many years of service given by Dean Oakman to the AIS Rowing Program. Dean takes up a new role as the Recovery Centre Manager at the AIS.
Welcome back and congratulations Sam!
Friday 12 June
Order of Australia to Roger Wilson
We congratulate Roger Wilson on his well deserved Order of Australia Award for his sporting and community work.
Roger has been a great supporter of the sport of rowing as a coach, administrator, commentator and reporter.
He is perhaps best known for his regatta commentary which commenced at the Yarrawonga Regatta in 1966. He always has shown care in his calling of races to promote excellence, and also to give recognition to the rest of the field. Roger has been a course commentator at the King’s Cup since 1973 and at the World Championships in 1990. He provided wonderful commentary for ABC radio at the Olympic Games in 1992 and 1996 and has managed to get the King’s Cup broadcast on ABC radio for 36years.
His work in the promotion of our sport has been legendary. Roger was the rowing correspondent at various times for the ‘The Age’,’ Melbourne Herald’, ‘Weekly Times’ and AAP over a 30 year period. He was awarded an Australian Sports Medal in 2000 and Life Membership of Rowing Victoria for his work.
Roger has generously given his time to his local community, rowing and amateur football with great success and has made a life-time of contribution to them all. A very well deserved honour Roger.
Wednesday 3 June
New jobs page on the RA website
The Rowing Australia website now includes a ‘Jobs’ page — follow the link from the top left of every page of the site.
All general positions advertised within the rowing community will be found on this new page, instead of being placed in the ‘Latest News’ section of the home page.
If you are interested in a position within rowing please be sure to check this page for regular updates. All High Performance-related positional vacancies will also be placed here.
Tuesday 2 June
FISA press release:
Great Britain puts on strong performance at 2009 Rowing World Cup in Banyoles, Spain
Sunday 31 May 2009
The first stage of the 2009 Rowing World Cup series saw Great Britain win a total of 11 medals, 9 of them gold, in 14 of the World Cup events racing today on Lake Banyoles, the 1992 Olympic regatta course near Barcelona, Spain.
Great Britain won the first stage of the 2009 Rowing World Cup and now leads the points table with 94 points, followed by Italy (38 points) and Poland (28 points).
Katherine Grainger, Great Britain's most medalled female rower, competed internationally for the first time in the women's single sculls and took gold.
Coming from the 2008 Olympic Champion men's four, Pete Reed and Andrew Triggs Hodge are now the new British combination in the men's pair - they won gold ahead of South Africa and Canada.
By winning gold in the men's four, Great Britain's completely new line-up of Alex Partridge, Richard Egington, Alex Gregory and Matthew Langridge proved its potential to perpetuate their country's legacy in this boat class.
Annie Vernon is the only remaining athlete from the 2008 Olympic silver medal British women's quad; today she rowed in this boat class and also in the women's double, winning gold in both events.
Great Britain's Alan Campbell was an Olympic finalist in Beijing last year in the men's single and today lined up against two-time and reigning Olympic Champion Olaf Tufte of Norway; taking the lead from the start, Campbell held on until the line, winning ahead of Norway and Belgium. Great Britain also won gold in the women's pair, men's double and women's eight.
Close to 400 athletes from 30 nations competed in 14 World Cup events and three international events. Among them was a stream of new, young blood to replace the Olympic stars who have either taken a year off or retired, and a lot of crew and team re shuffling to start out in the new Olympic cycle.
Italy will take home a total of six World Cup medals, two of them gold (LM2x, M8+), while Poland have four World Cup medals, one of them gold. Poland's 2008 Olympic Champions and three-time World Champions in the men's quadruple sculls have not lost their form over the winter and started the season with a win. Their goal will clearly be to win another title at the World Rowing Championships hosted this year by their home country.
France raced three men's double crews against each other at this Rowing World Cup, with the better of the three being selected as the boat to race at this year's World Rowing Championships. Today, the French crew of Julien Bahain and Cedric Berrest (2008 Olympic bronze medallists in the quad) won silver ahead of national counterparts Adrien Hardy and Jean-Baptiste Macquet, 2006 World Champions and World Best Time holders. The British crew of Matthew Wells and Stephen Rowbotham won gold in this event, less than one second ahead of France.
Denmark's lightweight men's four has a history of Olympic gold medals. Only one rower remains from the Beijing crew - Morten Joergensen - but today Denmark proved that even with a new crew it has what it takes to stay true to its reputation. They won gold in commanding style.
Host country Spain medalled in two events: the women's single sculls with Nuria Dominguez Asensio taking bronze and the lightweight women's double sculls with Teresa Mas De Xaxars and Ursula Grobler winning silver.
The Finals in the international boat classes were held yesterday, Saturday 30 May. Greece won two gold medals (LW1x, LM1x) while Italy won gold in the lightweight men's pair. No World Cup points are attributed for international boat classes.
Juan Antonio Samaranch, Honorary President of the International Olympic Committee, came to Banyoles today to watch the Rowing World Cup Finals. "I think the Banyoles Lake is one of the nicest places in the world and that the organisation of the first stage of the 2009 Rowing World Cup went very well. Rowing is a very important sport in the Olympic programme and you have a great President. Rowing is doing very well!" says Samaranch.
The Rowing World Cup series was launched in 1997 and includes all 14 Olympic boat classes. The overall Rowing World Cup winners are determined after a series of three regattas. Germany has dominated the series since its beginning twelve years ago, but Great Britain has led the medals table for the past two years. This year, the three stages of the series are held in Banyoles, Spain (29-31 May), Munich, Germany (19-21 June); and the final in Lucerne, Switzerland (10-12 July).
Visit the official website of the International Rowing Federation and the Rowing World Cup www.worldrowing.com for results, points & rankings, detailed race reports, and the online photo gallery.
