November 2007
Friday 30 November
Champion Lakes Armadale, WA: latest picture
Friday 30 November
Black Mountain Rowing Club Sculls Challenge: Senator Kate Lundy to present prize money to World Champion and Olympic rowers at Canberra regatta
Black Mountain Rowing Club is holding the second annual “Black Mountain Rowing Club Sculls Challenge” for over $7000 prize money at its annual regatta to be held this Saturday the 1st December at Yarramundi Reach, Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra. Senator Kate Lundy will present the prize money to winners at 11:45am.
The Sculls Challenge will be raced over 1800m and this year is open to both men and women. The races will be a Men’s Single Scull and a Women’s Coxless Pair.
Entrants for the womens pair include 2005, 2006 and 2007 World Championship medallists, 2004 Olympic medallists and AIS Scholarship holders Sally Kehoe, Sonia Mills, Sarah Cook, Robyn Selby-Smith Amber Bradley, Victoria Roberts, Elizabeth Kell, Kim Crow, Sarah Heard, Natalie Bale, Sarah Outhwaite, Kate Hornsey along with local rowers Christabelle Northam and Veronica Tamsitt who represented Australia at the Junior World Rowing Championships in Beijing earlier this year.
In the men’s single scull, competitors include recent Australian team members Tom Laurich, Karsten Fosterling, Jeremy Stephenson and Dan Noonan along with local rowing Olympian Craig Jones and Australian Junior representative Nicholas Barnier.
Entrants will be competing for over $7,000 in prize money with first place winning $1,000 each and all other finalists share in the remaining prize money. It is thought to be the only regatta in Australia where prize money is won.
This is a fantastic opportunity to see up close Australia’s best rowers in their preparation as they compete for selection in the Australian Olympic Rowing Team bound for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Black Mountain Rowing Club and the event sponsor Construction Control are delighted to be able to support these dedicated athletes in their preparations for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Heats for the men will be held at 7:45am and the heats for women at 9.55am. The final of the “BMRC Sculls Challenge” will be rowed between 11.20am and 11.40 am at Yarramundi Reach at the base of Black Mountain on Lady Denman Drive. Presentation by Senator Kate Lundy will take place at 11.45am.
For further details, please contact Peter Wright on 0417 439 577.
Thursday 29 November
New South Wales Rowing annouces new President
At the Board meeting held on Tuesday November 27th the Directors of the New South Wales Rowing Association appointed Mr Andrew Rowley as President.
The Board is delighted to announce that Deputy President Mr Andrew Rowley has been elevated to the Presidency of the New South Wales Rowing Association after serving on the Board for over ten years.
Andrew has extensive experience in all areas of the Association’s operations. His most significant roles have included State Team Manager, Director of Development, Chairman of the Athlete & Coach Development Commission, Chairman of the Organising Committee for the highly successful 2007 Australian Masters Rowing Championships and being actively involved with the development of sponsorship initiatives.
Andrew has also been involved in the partnership with the New South Wales Institute of Sport both at Joint Management Committee Meetings and most recently in the review of the National Elite Development Plan.
With Andrew taking on the responsibility of the Presidency there will be a Casual vacancy for the Deputy President position that the Board has immediately called for nominations.
The Board thanks the outgoing President, Mr Chris Noel for his outstanding commitment and contribution to the Association in a very dynamic 13 months serving on the Board. We wish him well with his Club, Business and personal goals.
For further information please contact:
David Evans
Chief Executive Officer
New South Wales Rowing Association
PO Box 722
Glebe NSW 2037
Tel: 02 8116-9777
Wednesday 28 November
Filippi boats, manufactured in 2007, available at special prices
The world renowned boat manufacturer Filippi has been a great supporter of the National Team for the past few years. As part of the support, they have provided boats for the team to use in Australia. The current boats are one year old and they are now for sale from the Australian agent. Rowing Australia commends these boats to potential buyers.
See details here.
Monday 26 November
RA Media Release:
World Champions edge closer to Olympic dream
Rowing Australia has named the first four athletes to be selected for the Australian Rowing Team in 2008.
Drew Ginn (VIC) and Duncan Free (QLD) have been named as the Men’s Pair, while Marguerite Houston (SA) and Amber Halliday (SA) will represent Australia in the Women’s Lightweight Double Scull.
Both of these crews, as long as they maintain their current form, will be nominated to the Australian Olympic Committee, before the AOC chooses the team to compete at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Ginn and Free were recently awarded the 2007 International Crew of the Year after their exceptional performance to win the 2007 World Rowing Championships. They won the final by six seconds in one of the most impressive displays in recent rowing history.
Halliday and Houston also were crowned world champions after a brilliant fight back in the final of the Women’s Lightweight Double Scull. Entering the final 500 metres of the race the Australians were a boat length behind, before overtaking the Finnish crew in the last few strokes.
Noel Donaldson, Rowing Australia High Performance Director, says the selection of these crews is an important step in the build up to the Olympic Games.
“It will allow our current world champions to focus their specific attention on the Beijing Olympic Games and their coaches to plan the most effective training methodology”, Donaldson said. “It replicates the success of early selection for our men’s pair four years ago for the Athens Olympic Games.
The Australian National Time Trials and First Selection Regatta will be held in Penrith from the 6th to the 9th of December with 80–100 rowers likely to be invited to attend.
For more information please call David Polglase on 0401 453 041
Monday 26 November
Baby news at Rowing Australia!
Naomi Wagstaff, RA's Office Manager/Events Coordinator delivered a baby girl on Thursday night (22 Nov). Lena Grace, 52cm and 8lb 13oz.
Mum and bub are home and doing very well. Congratulations to Naomi and Rob.
Friday 23 November
Adaptive Rowing Selection Guidelines and Event Supplement: now available
The RA 2007-2008 Adaptive Selection Guidelines and the RA 2007-2008 Event Supplement for Adaptive Rowing Team can be found here.
Friday 23 November
Nomination for the 2008 Senior A Australian Rowing Team and the
2008 Australian Olympic Team
RA are pleased to post the details associated with Nomination for the 2008 Senior A Australian Rowing Team and the 2008 Australian Olympic Team. All the relevant information can be found here.
It should be noted that the closing date for nominations is Friday 30 November 2007.
Update: Sunday 25 November
The High Performance Unit provides an update of various 2008 selection matters. Some key components of this will be prominently featured in the near future.
Wednesday 21 November
Marcks recognised with top honour
ACT and Australian rowing coach Gordon Marcks has been named ACTAS Sportsman’s Warehouse Coach of the Year.
Marcks was rewarded for his excellent domestic season within the ACTAS program and then for his role as head coach of the Australian team at the 2007 World Junior Rowing Championships in Beijing in August.
Marcks was presented the award by ACT Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation Mr. Andrew Barr MLA and Senator Kate Lundy at the presentation on Monday night.
Nick Barnier, who was part of the Australian Junior Team, was also recognised as part of the ACTAS squad of the year.
David Polglase
Wednesday 21 November
Money up for grabs: BMRC Sculls Challenge, 1 December in Canberra
Please see the attached flyer* for a chance to win some money in the Black Mountain Rowing Club (ACT) annual small boat challenge. Over $5,000 in prize money is on offer.
* Update as at 20 April 2008
This file has been archived. Please contact Rowing Australia for further information.
Wednesday 21 November
Looking for a Christmas gift or holiday reading? Peter Antonie: Out of His Shell on sale now
Full details in the attached flyer*.
* Update as at 20 April 2008
This file has been archived. Please contact Rowing Australia for further information.
Monday 19 November
Australian Rowing Championships 2008
Bulletin 1 and Event list are now available.
— Click here — for these documents, and all details.
Thursday 15 November
Impressive results at national time trials
With the summer of rowing well and truly underway, rowers across the country participated in the national 5km single scull time trial. Although not all athletes competed over the same distance due to varying courses across the country, the results have given selectors an early indication of what to expect as preparations continue before Beijing.
Athletes based in the ACT managed to fit in their time trial before Lake Burley Griffin was closed for all lake users due to a sewerage leak. The time trial was conducted over 4km and the standout was Toowoomba rower, Sally Kehoe. Her prognostic rated just higher than fellow Queensland sweep rower Sam Conrad. Both Kehoe and Conrad were members of the Women’s and Men’s Eights at the World Championships at Munich and will be important members of the Australian squad in 2008.
Women’s lightweight rower Verena Stocker led the field in New South Wales, with Rod Chisholm, a member of the Men’s Lightweight Coxless Four in Munich also recording a good prognostic. All rowers completed the 5km course in pristine conditions on the Nepean River, with only the hint of a tail wind in assistance.
Kawana Waters welcomed all Queensland based rowers as they competed over a course just under the 4km mark. Dan Ellice–Flint, part of the 2007 Australian shadow squad and Duncan Free, recently crowned as a member of the Men’s Pair that won International Crew of the Year, were the fastest of the scullers. Darryn Purcell, a member of the 2007 Australian U23 Team topped the prognostic charts.
Drew Ginn, who partnered Free in the Men’s Pair at Munich to win their second consecutive World Championship, was a front runner in the Victorian trials and finished just behind David Crawshay. Crawshay, who won the President’s Cup (awarded to the winner of the Men’s Single Scull) at the interstate regatta in 2007, rowed within himself over the 4100 metre course.
In South Australia, the duo of Amber Halliday and Marguerite Houston led the field home on the 4800m course at West Lakes. Halliday and Houston, who have been nominated for Australian Female Crew of the Year after their gold medal at the World Championships in the Women’s Lightweight Double Scull, showed signs of the off season work they have been putting in and finished just in front of Chris Morgan on prognostics.
The Australian Men’s Lightweight Double Scull crew of Sam Beltz and Tom Gibson were among the most impressive performers in Tasmania at Lake Barrington. Beltz and Gibson, who have finished 4th at the World Championships the last two years, will hope to stake their claims at Beijing next year. Dominic Monypenny, silver medallist in the Adaptive Men’s Single Scull in Munich, continues to perform well in these trials.
In Western Australia, lightweight rowers Ben Cureton and Todd Skipworth recorded the best times in good conditions on the Canning River. The 5100m trial was the longest course out of all states, with all rowers performing well in front of state coaches.
A number of junior rowers across the country showed their willingness to make the step into the senior ranks, with many of these athletes focusing on the London Olympic Games in 2012.
The Australian National Time Trials and First Selection Regatta will be held in Penrith from the 6th to the 9th of December with 80–100 rowers likely to be invited to attend.
David Polglase
Tuesday 13 November
Ginn and Free named International Crew of the Year
The World Champion Men’s Pair crew of Duncan Free and Drew Ginn has been crowned International Male Crew of the Year for 2007.
The 2007 awards were presented at a gala dinner, held on Saturday 10 November as part of the annual coaches’ conference in Budapest, Hungary.
Ginn and Free, who successfully defended their title in Munich in August, now have their sights set on Olympic Gold in Beijing next year as they continue their quest for the perfect row.
Former Australian coach Paul Thompson was named Coach of the Year. Thompson, who now coached the Great Britain women and lightweight squads, had guided the British Women’s Quad to three consecutive World Championship titles.
For a complete list of winners and their biographies please visit www.worldrowing.com
David Polglase
Thursday 8 November
2007 Rower of the Year Awards: finalists announced
Rowing Australia would like to announce the following finalists for the 2007 Rower of the Year Awards. They will be awarded at a function with the date and venue to be announced in due course.
Volunteer of the Year
Pedro Albisser
Margaret Mackenzie
Michael Smith
Eric Waller
Male Rower/Crew of the Year
Snr A Coxless Pair
John MacLean
Dominic Monypenny
Female Rower/Crew of the Year
Snr A Lightweight Double
Snr A Lightweight Quad
Kathryn Ross
Coach of the Year
Adrian David
Chris O’Brien
Ellen Randell
Monday 5 November
Tasmanians begin season in style
The Tasmanian rowing season began over the weekend as the first pennant regatta was held at Franklin, on the river Huon.
The event brought out a strong field, with 2007 World Championship athletes Sam Beltz, Tom Gibson, Anthony Edwards and Kerry Hore all in attendance at the state event.
Beltz and Gibson, fresh off a 4th place finish at the World Championships in the Men’s Lightweight Double Scull, led the field in the Men’s Single Scull to eventually finish first and second respectively, ahead of Athens Olympian Brendan Long and Anthony Edwards.
In the Men’s Double Scull final on Sunday, Long teamed with Scott Brennan to win ahead of the Beltz–Gibson combination to show the depth of rowing currently present in Tasmania.
In the Women’s Single Scull, Kerry Hore had the best-possible start to the season with a commanding 19 second victory. Hore will be pushing for a spot on the Olympic team next year and her rhythm in the first domestic event on the Australian calendar shows that her preparations are coming along nicely ahead of selection trials in February next year.
Monday 5 November
Congratulations to Natalie Bale and Ross Brown
Rowing Australia would like to congratulate Natalie Bale and Ross Brown for being nominated for the WAIS Sportsperson of the Year Award. Both Bale and Brown were part of the Australian team that competed at the World Championships in Munich this year, with Bale finishing 4th as part of the Women’s Eight crew, and Brown claiming a bronze medal in the Lightweight Men’s Pair.
Swimmer Eamon Sullivan won the main award, which recognised the performance of WAIS athletes from October 1 2006 to September 30 2007.
Friday 2 November
Vale Graeme Squires
Rowing Australia would like to pass on its condolences to the family of Graeme Squires who passed away last Friday in Hobart at the age of 78.
Squires was one of Tasmania’s finest sportsmen and was recognised in 1962 when he won the Tasmanian division of Australian Sportsperson of the Year.
In the same year he won a bronze medal in the Men’s Double Sculls at the Commonwealth Games in Perth. In 1963 Squires won the President’s Cup, awarded to the winner of the Single Scull at the Interstate Regatta at the Australian Rowing Championships.
Squires was Tasmania’s leading sculler from 1956–1963 and went on to become an excellent rowing coach.
Friday 2 November
Nomination Form for 2008 Australian Rowing Team — Senior A (Non Olympic) and Under 23: now available
The Nomination Form for athletes wishing to nominate for the Senior A (Non Olympic) and Under 23 World Championships is now available here (pdf, 132kb). The Event Supplement for these teams and the 2005-2008 Selection Policy can also be found on this website.
Please note that nominations close at 5pm Friday 9th November 2007.
Friday 2 November
November edition of Australian Rowing News: now available
Contents include:
- From the CEO, Andrew Dee
- Australian crews put on exhibition in Oklahoma
- New appointments
- 2007/2008 Events of Interest
- Coaches tip
- Athlete profile
— Click here —
