Tuesday 27 July
Australia has host in sights at London 2012
The Australian, Nicole Jeffrey, 27/7/10
TWO years from today, the Australian team will march into the main stadium at the 2012 London Games with clear intent to challenge if not defeat the British team in its own backyard.
Midway through the Olympic cycle, the traditional rivals remain on a collision course as the countdown to London begins in earnest.
Despite the national team's slide from fourth to sixth on the Beijing medal tally, accompanied by Britain's rise to fourth, the Australian Olympic Committee remains committed to a top-five finish on the medal tally in London. The British Olympic Association has most recently modified its aim from a top-five finish to top six.
AOC president John Coates insists that a top-five finish (45–50 medals) is still a realistic target for Australia, which is being seriously out-spent by its European rivals.
"I think there have been some encouraging results this year – cycling has been a lot better, we have had some very good sailing results, there seems to be more medal potential in track and field and the team sports basketball and hockey are going well," Coates said.
"But as always the sport that will determine it all is swimming (which usually provides one-third of Australia's medals). I am not saying that we can beat them (Britain) yet, but we are holding our own and if the new government funding comes in quickly, we could still get some benefit from that this year."
The leading Olympic sports –swimming, cycling, athletics, rowing, sailing – all expect to profit from the $120 million boost for high performance sport that the federal government will begin to roll out in the next three months.
Rowing, in particular, will need all the help it can get, given the growing strength and depth Coates sees in the British team.
However, athletics and cycling are already making good headway in the run to London.
The cycling team won three gold and two silver medals in Olympic events at the world track titles in Denmark in March, as Cameron Meyer emerged as a new star, and the athletics team is at its strongest for at least a decade.
Steve Hooker and Dani Samuels won world titles last year and hurdler Sally Pearson (nee McLellan), long jumpers Mitchell Watt and Fabrice Lapierre and walker Jared Tallent are also proven performers at the highest level.
The swimming team is evolving following the retirements of Grant Hackett and Libby Trickett.
Stephanie Rice, Leisel Jones, Brenton Rickard and Eamon Sullivan will be among the mainstays, while the emerging group includes teens Emily Seebohm, Yolane Kukla and Katie Goldman.
Coates has earmarked gymnastics as a sport capable of producing its first medals in London, after Lauren Mitchell's two silvers at last year's world titles. Sailing also continues to forge ahead, led by 470 double-handed dinghy gold medallist Malcolm Page, who won the world title with new skipper Mathew Belcher last week.
Laser sailor Tom Slingsby and 49er skipper Nathan Outteridge have bounced back from disappointing Beijing campaigns to claim multiple World Cup wins this year.
AOC sports director Fiona de Jong has also tracked a new generation of potential Olympic stars. They include 1500m runner Ryan Gregson, 20, pole vaulter Liz Parnov, 16, and diver James Connor, 15, who will make their Commonwealth Games debuts in October.
The AOC expects to send about 430 athletes to London, led by new chef de mission, former Oarsome Foursome rower Nick Green.
Wednesday 21 July
Every-Hall back on the water with London – and gold – firmly in her sights
James Buckley, Canberra Times, 21/7/10
Even at her lowest ebb six and a half years ago, AIS rower Hannah Every-Hall never lost the desire to represent Australia at an Olympic Games.
And after winning a lightweight double scull gold medal with Alice McNamara at the World Cup 3 in Switzerland last week, the 32-year-old is on track to fulfil her dream in London in 2012.
She only returned to the sport this year. A near-fatal allergic reaction to her pet cat during the trials for the Athens Olympics triggered Every-Hall into an early retirement from rowing.
At the time she was desperately trying to secure her place on the Australian rowing team but two incidents of exercise-induced anaphylaxis took a toll on her health.
"I came into the trials at Sydney and was running the course and all of a sudden I just felt my lips swell and my head felt swollen as well, my tongue swelled and the next minute I knew I was in the water," Every-Hall said.
"I'm incredibly allergic to cats and I never knew. We had a cat that was an outdoor cat that became an indoor cat in the last six months of that happening.
"I semi recovered and I trialled again in January at the next selection trials, but the exact same thing happened again and from there I went on a downward spiral as far as my health went.
"My asthma just became uncontrollable and I couldn't do anything for about six months, because it took that long to get the diagnosis. At the time it was the bottom, I felt terrible because rowing is your life."
Fortunately the Queensland native made a full recovery, but instead of returning to the water she decided to start a family with her husband Michael.
Her two sons Harrison and Charlie were born, but Every-Hall felt herself being lured back to the boat.
She tried her hand at coaching and at the start of this year decided she was ready to compete again.
"I never retired, I just left the sport," the rejuvenated rower said.
"I always wanted to do it and Olympics has always been a dream and obviously a gold medal comes with that dream.
"I'm doing things better than I've ever done them before.
"Having the children gives you a fantastic balance. I've been overseas for four weeks and left my children which was incredibly hard but you walk in the door and it's, `Mummy can you get me a drink', and it's back to reality again."
The next major goal for Every-Hall is to qualify for the world championships alongside McNamara.
Trials are in five weeks for the event which will be held in Karapiro, New Zealand, from October 31.
Despite last week's success, Every-Hall said she wasn't taking anything for granted.
"Everything starts as a clean slate, there's no givens in the sport."
Friday 16 July
City’s warm favourite Ross set to pack a punch with new partner at world titles
Meagan Rooth, Warrnambool Standard, 16/7/10
KATHRYN Ross is probably the only person in Warrnambool who is soaking up the wintry weather.
Coming from Canberra, the Beijing Paralympic silver medallist is grateful for temperatures above zero and is making the most of her short "holiday" in the south-west by training daily with Craig Parsons.
Ross said it would be her last visit home before she contests the World Rowing Championships with double-scull partner Grant Bailey in October.
"I'm having a little break to regain focus and hopefully have a new frame of mind heading into worlds.
"I'm winding it back a bit but I still have to train every day. Craig keeps me ticking."
After collecting a silver medal at the World Rowing Cup in Ukraine last month, Ross and Bailey have been busily preparing for the world championships in New Zealand.
The pair also have trials next month for national team selection.
But chilly Canberra weather has prevented the duo from taking seconds off their personal best time over one kilometre of four minutes and 18 seconds.
"We've been training every morning in minus-degree temperatures but it's pretty hard to produce good times in that weather. It gets pretty frosty," she said.
"Grant and I have been doing a lot of combination work, changing positions in the boat.
"Hopefully it puts us in the best position for the trials."
In light of the gloomy conditions, Ross said she had moved some of her rigorous training program indoors.
She was glad to have the opportunity to continue her vigorous routine at Parsons' gym this week.
"Boxing has been incorporated into my training at the AIS," she said.
"So it's good that I'm not straying away from my normal training when I'm home.
"My muscles are a bit sore afterwards but it shows I've worked hard."
Ross and Bailey are the top trunk-and-arms double scull in the country but still have to attend next month's Australian trials as a formality.
"There's always people working in the background which keeps you pushing harder." Ross said. "But unless something drastic happens I'm pretty sure we'll be going (to the world championships).
"I'm being confident."
Wednesday 14 July
Toowoomba star adds new medal to cabinet
Glen McCullough, Toowoomba Chronicle, 14/7/10
TOOWOOMBA'S Sally Kehoe has added another international medal to her career tally with a strong performance at the World Rowing Cup 3 in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Kehoe combined with Victorian Kim Crow to take silver in the women's double scull.
Kehoe and Crow pushed Great Britain all the way in the final before succumbing to the favourites by one boat length.
The Australian pair looked to threaten the British in the second half of the race but could not reel them in, clocking a time of 6:52.60.
Kehoe said they executed their race plan well.
"We knew that the British had a very fast start and we just wanted to hold with them over the first half of the race," Kehoe said.
"We pushed with 800m to go but Kath Grainger had too much experience and the British were able to respond to our challenge.
"The silver medal is a really good achievement for our squad and gives us something to build upon for New Zealand."
Tuesday 13 July
Tomkins honoured
West Australian, 12/7/10
Australia's most decorated rower, James Tomkins, has been awarded the sport's highest individual honour, the Thomas Kellar Medal.
The medal recognises an outstanding career in rowing and 44-year-old Tomkins is the 24th recipient of the award.
A member of Australia's "Oarsome Foursome", Tomkins won three gold medals and one bronze at the six Olympic Games he attended between 1988 and 2008.
Tomkins is the third Australian to have won the award, following Peter Antonie (2003) and Mike McKay (2007).
Monday 5 July
Larkins in Aussie 8 for World Cup 3
Melanie Whelan, Ballarat Courier, 3/7/10
FORMER Ballarat Grammar oarsman Tom Larkins has been named in the Australian eight ahead of next week's Rowing World Cup III.
Rowing Australia has combined Larkins' Victorian/New South Wales crew with the World Cup II gold medal winning four to row as an eight in Lucerne, Switzerland.
The three-day regatta draws the strongest competition in the world cup season with more than 50 nations and more than 900 athletes entered this year.
Ballarat Olympians James Marburg and Anthony Edwards have retained spots in their boats for World Cup III action.
Marburg will row in the Australian four with his Olympic silver medal crew of Francis Hegerty (NSW), Cameron McKenzie-McHarg (Victoria) and Matt Ryan (NSW).
Tasmanian-based Edwards will row in the Australian lightweight mens' four with fellow Tasmanians Sam Beltz and Blair Tunevitsch.
The Australian squad is based at the Australian Institute of Sport's European training centre in Varese, Italy for a 15-day training camp.
World Cup rowing forms crucial preparation for Australia's World Rowing Championships campaign in New Zealand, which starts in late October.
Australian trials will be held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre in August, allowing athletes who missed initial selections a second chance for a world championship spot.
