December 2007
Friday 21 December
Update on National Selection matters
Please find below details relating to the January Camps, February Selection Regatta and other High Performance matters.
1. Memo from RA High Performance Director (doc, 180kb)
2. RA 2007-2008 Event Supplement for Senior (Non Olympic), Under 23 and Junior teams
(incorporating amendments to 20 December 2007) (pdf, 144kb)
3. Invitations: January 2008 National Camp, February 2008 Selection Regatta and Trials (xls, 28kb)
Friday 14 December
Kell strives for Beijing berth after year out
Rowing Australia this week had the chance to catch up with Liz Kell, World Champion in the Women’s Double Scull in 2006 with Brooke Pratley.
Kell sat the 2007 international season out after undergoing back surgery but now is well and truly recovered as she pushes for inclusion in her first Olympic team.
1. How has your recovery been from your back surgery earlier this year?
Recovery was great, of course the initial 5 weeks was trying as I couldn't sit down for the first 4, so it was either lying or standing. I had an ironing board as a dinner table, mum had to help me change and put my shoes on to go outside for walks.... Once I got over those weeks, being in Canberra at the AIS was definitely the best place for me to be to start the rehab into rowing. Everything is easily accessible here and the support was great.
2. How difficult was it watching the Australian team performing overseas this year after your success from the year before?
It was hard but being on the team for a few years now I can appreciate how hard and unforgiving the competition is. I was not there so I cannot give any details as to what the preparation was like. All the girls that went overseas are so talented; you have world champions in the squad. Sometimes regattas do not go your way.
3. How did you feel as though you performed at the National Time Trials and First Selection Regatta?
I was pretty happy with my results. Unfortunately we had a shocker of a start in the pair that left us behind but the result we got despite that was very promising for the future. I really like the squad here at the moment, we all get on so well and that just lessens the stress of all the trialling for the Olympics.
4. How have you settled into the National Camp this week?
It's great to go into a camp with no injuries or big worries, which is unusual for me! My back was always a big concern before surgery.
5. Selection is a long way off still but which boat would you like to be part of in 2008?
At the moment, I am just concentrating on getting in the Olympic team! Both sweep boats have great potential so I am lucky to be part of such a strong and dynamic squad.
6. Do you have any time to rest up over Christmas and what are your plans?
Christmas will still involve a lot of training since the big selections are in February but I will definitely enjoy the few days around Christmas in Sydney on the beach! Most of my family are away this year so I'm being adopted for Chrissy.
7. If you are selected for Beijing it would be your first Olympics. What would that experience mean to you?
I guess I have been working for this for so long; it would be a huge relief and a massive achievement. I have goals above and beyond that though, so it would be a tick for that goal before moving onto the next! To represent your country is one of the best feelings you can have so I'm guessing representing your country at the Olympics would double that feeling!!
Friday 14 December
Olympic greats share secrets ahead of Beijing quest
James Tomkins and Clint Robinson are two of Australia’s longest serving Olympians and have embarked on yet another campaign to represent their country.
Both Tomkins and Robinson are currently training for their respective sports of rowing and kayaking in Canberra and have their sights firmly fixed on Beijing in nine months time.
Tomkins, 42, is one of Australia’s most decorated Olympians having won three gold medals and a bronze medal since his debut Olympics in Seoul in 1988. On that occasion Tomkins rowed in the Men’s Eight which finished fourth.
Robinson, 35, made history in Barcelona when he became the first Australian canoe kayaker to win a gold medal when he triumphed in the Men’s K1 1000m. Since then Robinson has added a silver and bronze medal to his collection.
Equestrian rider Andrew Hoy and sailor Colin Beashel have both competed at six Olympic Games, with Hoy currently campaigning for his seventh. If Tomkins successfully qualifies in 2008 he will be at his sixth games, while Robinson will be at his fifth.
However both men realise the task facing them, with neither yet having secured a spot in Beijing.
Tomkins, who will more than likely feature in the Men’s Eight in 2008, will still need to qualify the boat with his fellow team mates at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Poland, 15 – 18 June 2008.
“It's not like you make the team and roll up and get qualification," Tomkins said. “I am pretty confident of making the team, but then the second step is to qualify that boat which comes in June. That race will probably be the most anxious and nervous event of my entire career I would imagine."
Robinson also said that there is a long road ahead to be selected for the Australian team in his pet event, the K1 1000m.
“It’s going to be tough, I mean we have a guy in Australia, Ken Wallace, who got 5th and 4th in the last two world championships”, Robinson said. “He’s a real talent and he’s eleven years younger than me and we are preparing from different angles but this is the first time in about eight years that I have seriously prepared for K1 racing and not team boats so it will be a good challenge.”
Both Robinson and Tomkins have the upmost respect for each other’s achievements but also realise this will spell their last chance of Olympic success.
“You know there are a lot of massive differences, I mean he goes backwards and I go forwards!” Robinson said. “But as a person James has been an icon in rowing, there’s no doubt about that. He’s a fantastic athlete.”
“I am looking forward to the challenge as this will be the last time for me. I’ve got a lot of other things in life that I want to get on with and a business that I definitely want to put a lot more time into.”
Tomkins also admitted this would more than likely be the end.
“I think we are pretty firmly set on this being the last! Overseas at this year’s World Championships a few guys said that it (London) wasn’t that far away, only another four years or so, but fairly confident this will be the last.”
Wednesday 12 December
Women’s squad enjoy tough day in Canberra (images)
The National Training Camp began on Monday morning as all 63 athletes invited to attend the camp were welcomed at 11.30am at the AIS boatsheds in Yarralumla, Canberra.
High Performance Director Noel Donaldson welcomed the athletes and outlined the program for the week, before each of the squads split off and were addressed by their coaches.
The afternoon’s activities included a variety of gym sessions with only the Men’s Lightweights and the Men’s Sculling squads rowing on Lake Burley Griffin.
The women’s heavyweight scull and sweep squad were well and truly into the swing of the National Training Camp on Tuesday. The day began with two sessions on the water as the two squads were put through their paces by Lyall McCarthy, Tim Conrad and John Cumper.
Members of the women’s squads were then faced with the prospect of a triathlon in the afternoon which consisted of a session on the ergo followed by a 40 minute bike ride and a 40 minute run.
The camp will provide an important building block for each athlete’s fitness, as well as providing coaches with important information into which combinations will work the best.
David Polglase
To view images from the National Training Camp — click here —
To view the list of athletes invited to the National Training Camp — click here —
Tuesday 11 December
New photo gallery: RA National Selection Regatta, 6-9 December
View images from the 5,000m time trial on the Nepean River and racing over 2,000m at the Sydney International Regatta Centre.
— Click here —
Tuesday 11 December
RA Board Update
Rowing Australia held its Annual General Meeting on Sunday 9 December in Canberra. The AGM was held in conjunction with the Strategic Forum.
Outcomes of the meeting were:
- Colin Smith was re–elected to the board.
- Peter Crawford withdrew his nomination for position of Director of Finance creating a casual vacancy which will be filled under the relevant provisions of the RA Constitution.
- Richard Paterson resigned from his board appointed position creating a vacancy in the role that will be filled by the board in due course.
The RA Board composition now is
Patrick McNamara President
Colin Smith
John Boultbee
Bob Pennington
Rebecca Joyce
David Pincus
Sunday 9 December
December National Camp Invitations
Congratulations to the following athletes who have been invited to attend the December National Camp in Canberra. The camp will begin on Monday 10 December and will run until Sunday 16 December.
Men’s Sweep
Sam Conrad
James Tomkins
James Chapman
Sam Loch
James Marburg
Terrence Alfred
Francis Hegerty
Matt Ryan
Tom Laurich
Jeremy Stevenson
Nick Baxter
Fergus Pragnell
David Dennis
Stephen Stewart
Karsten Forsterling
Cameron McKenzie-McHarg
Tom Larkins
Ian Allsop
Marty Rabjohns
Mark Douez
Women’s Sweep
Kate Hornsey
Sally Kehoe
Kim Crow
Robyn Selby Smith
Liz Kell
Sarah Heard
Natalie Bale
Sarah Tait
Pauline Frasca
Phoebe Stanley
Amber Bradley
Sonia Mills
Jo Lutz
Katelyn Gray
Lizzie Patrick
Men’s Scull
Dan Noonan
Chris Morgan
David Crawshay
Brendan Long
David Kelly
James Gatti
Peter Hardcastle
Craig Jones
Dan Ellice Flint
Scott Brennan
James McRae
Tim Hennessy
Men’s Lightweight
Todd Skipworth
Ross Brown
Michael McBryde
Anthony Edwards
Shaun Finlayson
Nick Baker
Blair Tunevitsch
Jonothan Hookway
Ben Cureton
Rod Chisholm
Women’s Scull
Pip Savage
Kerry Hore
Zoe Uphill
Brooke Pratley
Catriona Sens
Amy Ives
Sally Robbins
Exempted Athletes
Drew Ginn
Duncan Free
Amber Halliday
Marguerite Houston
Sam Beltz
Tom Gibson
Sunday 9 December
RA Media Release:
Ginn named Australian Rower of the Year
Australian rower Drew Ginn has capped off a brilliant year after being recognised by his peers as the Rower’s Rower of the Year.
Ginn (VIC) won the award, which is decided on the votes taken from all other athletes who represented Australia in 2007, ahead of partner in the Men’s Pair, Duncan Free, and adaptive rower Kathryn Ross (VIC).
The award caps off an excellent year for Ginn, who along the way won his fifth world championship gold medal after a commanding victory with Duncan Free in the Men’s Pair in Munich. Ginn and Free were also awarded the prestigious 2007 FISA International Male Crew of the Year.
Ginn said that it was an honour to be recognised by his peers.
“Whenever you are recognised by your team mates it is always a special feeling”, Ginn said. “We have had a great year and we are now looking forward to Beijing next year.”
Ginn and Free were also awarded the Australian Male Crew of the Year, with the other finalists being adaptive rowers John MacLean (NSW) and Dominic Monypenny (TAS).
Amber Halliday (SA) and Marguerite Houston (SA) were awarded Australian Female Crew of the Year after their gold medal in the World Championships in the Lightweight Double Sculls. Other finalists were adaptive rower Kathryn Ross and the Women’s Lightweight Quad Scull of Tara Kelly (QLD), Bronwen Watson (NSW), Alice McNamara (VIC) and Miranda Bennett (NSW).
Full results:
| Rowers’ Rower of the Year |
Drew Ginn
|
| Male Crew of the Year |
Men’s Pair — Duncan Free and Drew Ginn
|
| Female Crew of the Year |
Women’s Lightweight Double Scull —
Amber Halliday and Marguerite Houston
|
For more information please call David Polglase on 0401 453 041
Saturday 8 December
Lightweights firmly in contention as Beijing looms on the horizon
Australia’s lightweight double scull crew of Sam Beltz and Tom Gibson are progressing nicely as they compete at the National Time Trials and First Selection Regatta. RA caught up with them as they prepared for racing at SIRC on Saturday afternoon.
RA – You finished in fourth place at the World Championships in Munich. How have you recovered?
Tom Gibson – Yeah we were a little disappointed in some regards. We were aiming to get a medal so it would have been nice to get amongst the medals but it wasn’t to be. We came away from the medals and a couple of weeks off and revaluated things and set our sights on getting a medal next year at the Olympics.
RA – How has your early season form been so far?
Sam Beltz – Pretty happy with it actually. Tom and I have been finishing first and second in everything so far in stuff in Tassie and up here so far.
RA – Were you happy with your performances in the time trials on Thursday and Friday?
Tom Gibson – I would have probably liked to perform a bit better on the Thursday but got a bit carried away in the first 2km and paid for it a bit later on! Overall though I have been really happy with the way I have been rowing and pretty confident with how I have been progressing.
Sam Beltz – My goal coming up here was to try and be able to mix it with the heavyweights. They allowed us to go off in the same group yesterday and I managed to show them that the first day wasn’t a fluke! Obviously I was pretty happy to finish in first place there.
RA – Onto this afternoon, there is a big clash between the lightweights and the heavyweights in 2km racing at SIRC. What is the plan?
Sam Beltz – To win!! Well we have raced a few of the guys down in Tassie earlier this season and have had some pretty good contests so that should provide a pretty good yardstick to how we can go this afternoon.
RA – Who do you see as the main challenge this afternoon?
Tom Gibson – I think Crawshay (David) and Deisel (Brendan Long) will be pretty tough and Dan Noonan will be tough as well. Then you have the WA boys (David Kelly and James Gatti) and they obvisouly row pretty well together.
RA – Have there been many words between yourself and the heavyweights?
Tom Gibson – A little bit of quiet banter perhaps but we have tried to stay out of saying much!
Sam Beltz – I think there is a fair bit of mutual respect there so it should be good.
RA – Next week the national camp convenes in Canberra. What are you looking to get out of it?
Tom Gibson – It will be good to get down into some quality training again. We have a couple of ergos lately and then obviously the racing and trials this week. It will be good to have everyone together and training well. We have another six-week block before the next selection trials so next week will provide a good start.
RA – What are the plans at this stage for 2008?
Tom Gibson – Well Antonio (Maurogiovanni) at this stage is planning a long trip overseas for the international season. I think he would like us to compete in at least two of the world cups. By getting a few races under our belts it should aid us come Beijing.
RA – And finally, what is the goal for Beijing?
Sam Beltz – Definitely we have our sights set on a medal. It has always been our mindset that if we can qualify for the final then we have every chance of getting a medal. We just need to take it one step at a time.
Sam Beltz and Tom Gibson being interviewed about their performances at the time trials and what the future holds for 2008
Friday 7 December
RA Media Release:
Tomkins winds back clock to top charts
James Tomkins and Sam Conrad have produced an excellent 5km time trial in the Men’s Pair to upstage the pre-selected Olympic duo of Drew Ginn and Duncan Free at the national time trials on the Nepean River, Penrith.
Tomkins (VIC) and Conrad (QLD), part of the Australian Men’s Eight at the 2007 World Rowing Championships, completed the course along the Nepean River in 17:21.04, some two seconds quicker than Ginn (VIC) and Free (QLD).
With the World Champion pair of Ginn and Free already confirmed as the crew to row for gold in Beijing, Tomkins has set his sights on gaining a spot in the Men’s Eight in what would be his sixth Olympic Games.
“It will be the first Olympic build up where I actually have not known which boat I am going to be rowing in at the Olympics, if selected for the team”, Tomkins said. “The selectors have now named the Eight as the priority boat over the four (Coxless Four) so that’s where all the quicker guys are getting put and I would of course like to be one of those eight.”
The Men’s Eight, despite having not qualified for the Olympics yet, will have one final chance to qualify at the Final Qualification Regatta in Poland next June. They will need to win this race to make it to Beijing.
Tasmanian Sam Beltz continued his great form in the men’s 5km single scull time trial. Beltz, Australia’s top lightweight sculler, set the quickest time for the second day in a row, once again beating the top heavyweight scullers across the line.
In the women’s pair Sally Kehoe (QLD) showed her versatility as she followed up her strong performance from Thursday in the single scull to set the quickest time with Kate Hornsey. Kehoe and Hornsey will be integral parts of the women’s squad for 2008.
With the time trials now completed, attention will turn to the 2km racing at the Sydney International Regatta Centre on the weekend. Rowing begins at 4pm on Saturday afternoon.
For more information please call David Polglase on 0401 453 041
Thursday 6 December
RA Media Release:
Toowoomba girls steal show at national time trials
Toowoomba rowers Sally Kehoe and Pippa Savage have stolen the show on the first day of the national time trials and first selection regatta in Penrith.
All athletes participated in a 5km single scull time trial on the Nepean River in challenging conditions, as Australia’s top rowers strive for a spot on the 2008 Beijing Olympics team.
Kehoe and Savage, who both hail from the same city in Queensland, were excellent in their time trial to finish as the two highest placed athletes out of the Women’s Heavyweight group.
Australia’s top male sculler, David Crawshay (VIC), set the best time in the Men’s Heavyweight class ahead of South Australia’s Chris Morgan and Dan Noonan (NSW).
Four Tasmanians topped the charts in the Men’s Lightweight trial with Sam Beltz and Tom Gibson crossing the line in first and section positions respectively.
South Australian pair Amber Halliday and Marguerite Houston, already pre qualified for next year’s Olympic Games, performed well in the Women’s Lightweight trial.
Attention on Friday will turn to pairs racing and some further trials in the single sculls. Duncan Free and Drew Ginn, who have also been pre-selected for the team next year, will be favourites to set the quickest time.
James Tomkins (VIC) will also embark on his bid to qualify for his sixth Olympic Games as he partners Sam Conrad (QLD).
For more information please call David Polglase on 0401 453 041
Thursday 6 December
RA Media Release:
Olympians put through paces at selection trials
Rowing Australia’s National Time Trials and First Selection Regatta commenced this morning as 100 athletes strive for a berth in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Two Australian crews have already gained pre-selection for the Olympics, with Duncan Free and Drew Ginn to race in the Men’s Pair, and Amber Halliday and Marguerite Houston set to row for gold in the Women’s Lightweight Double Scull.
Both crews were crowned World Champions in 2007, but despite having already been selected for the 2008 team are required to attend the event.
This morning all athletes participated in a 5km single scull time trial on the Nepean River. On Friday there will be some further trials in pairs and single sculls, before relocation to the Sydney International Regatta Centre on Saturday and Sunday.
Rowing Australia High Performance Director, Noel Donaldson, says that there will be a number of fascinating head to head battles over the week.
“We had some very encouraging test results on the ergometer last week and they showed a good improvement from the same stage last year”, Donaldson said. “There will be some great competitive rowing over the next four days from our top athletes as they push for positions.”
A shadow Australian squad will be named after the final races on Sunday evening before athletes named in the squad attend a week long training camp at the AIS in Canberra.
For more information please call David Polglase on 0401 453 041
Tuesday 4 December
Rowing Australia National Selection Regatta: program now available
The 1st National Selection Regatta, 2007, will be held between 6 and 9 December. This regatta incorporates:
- 5,000m Time Trial (Nepean River): Thurs 6 and Fri 7 December
- 2,000m Racing (Sydney International Regatta Centre): Sat 8 and Sun 9 December
To download maps of the venues and race schedules — click here — (
292kb).
Tuesday 4 December
December edition of Australian Rowing News: now available
Contents include:
- From the CEO, Andrew Dee
- World Champions draw nearer to Beijing
- Adaptive Rowing
- United States opens its doors for Australian coxswain
- Olympic hopefuls show their class in Canberra
- New South Wales Rowing announces new President
- Coaches tip
- 2007/2008 Events of Interest
- Athlete profile
— Click here —
