Tuesday 20 December
Dana rowing towards another Olympics
Brett Stubbs, Hobart Mercury, 20/12/11
ATHENS bronze medallist Dana Faletic is on track to return to Olympic rowing following national trials in Penrith at the weekend.
After leaving the sport to take up the bike, Faletic has returned and impressed all in Sydney, Tasmanian Institute of Sport head rowing coach Brett Crow said.
"Dana Faletic did very, very well," Crow said. "Of the eight women taken into the shadow squad for the heavyweight women's quad, she was ranked third on that list."
Faletic's was just one of a number of impressive Tasmanian performances that has them scrambling for seats in the boats for London next year.
Of the eight-man squad picked to train for the men's lightweight four, five are Tasmanian – Sam Beltz, Anthony Edwards Tom Gibson, Blair Tunevitsch and Ali Foot – while the West Australian pair of Ben Cureton and Todd Skipworth are now based in Hobart and linked to the TIS.
The odd-man out is Rod Chishols from NSW.
But Crow said the lightweight four of Edwards, Beltz, Cureton and Skipworth would be hard to dislodge.
"It is pretty hard to say, they won at the worlds just gone, it is going to be pretty hard for anybody to displace someone in that boat," he said.
"Maybe injuries will be the only reason they get in there unless someone is performing well above those four guys.
"It is going to be hard for someone to push their way in."
Kerry Hore, Kate Hornsey, Ella Flecker and Beijing gold medallist Scott Brennan have all been invited to the final national trials in March. Seven Tasmanians made the Australian rowing team for Beijing but Crow was hoping for an even stronger representation in London.
"I think we can match that again," Crow said.
The lightweight crew will head to Franklin, south of Hobart, to continue training before meeting up with the heavyweights for a camp at Tasmania's Lake Barrington early next year.
Friday 2 December
New rowing course going for gold
Canberra Weekly, 17/11/11
Two Olympic gold medallists were the first to try a new rowing course in Lake Burley Griffin earlier this week. The National Capital Authority rebuilt the course following floods in December 2010.
David Crawshay and Scott Brennan, who won Olympic gold together in the men's double scull at Beijing in 2008, tested the new course on Tuesday 15 November.
NCA chief executive, Gary Rake said the course will be used most days of the year.
'We expect the course to be very popular with rowers, from our gold medal winning elites, through to club rowers and seniors. The course is also suitable for use by dragon boaters and sprint kayakers,' said Mr Rake.
'The rowing course represents one of the final pieces of remedial work following the floods last year. We are delighted to have it opened in time for the busy summer recreation period.'
Rowing Australia chief executive officer, Andrew Dee said the new rowing course will be used by Australian rowing representatives.
'Lake Burley Griffin is one of the best rowing training venues in the world. The new course will further enhance the capacity of our athletes and coaches to prepare for next year's London Olympic and Paralympic Games,' Mr Dee said.
Rowing ACT president, David Bagnall said the new course will also host national and local regattas.
'This course is not only our principal training area, but also our regatta venue,' said Mr Bagnall.
The course is 1,800m long, with seven lanes marked by buoys. Each buoy is anchored underwater, and connected with longitudinal cables.
The design and construction of the course cost $150,000.
