Monday 12 August
 
Medal Success for next Generation of Australian Rowers
 
The Australian Junior Rowing Team completed a successful World Rowing Championship campaign on Monday morning (AEST), finishing the regatta with one Gold and one Silver medal to emphasise the bright future of Australian rowing.
 
The results were headlined by the Junior Women's Pair of Jessie Allen (NSW), Genevieve Horton (NSW) and coach Alfred Young (NSW) who destroyed the field in their A-final on Saturday, leading from start to finish to secure the Gold medal in a time of 7:22:50. The result was the culmination of a remarkable campaign for the young duo, having narrowly missed out on a medal against older and more experienced opposition in the same boat category at the 2013 World Rowing Under 23 Championships. Horton was also a member of the Senior Australian Women's Eight that won Gold at the 2013 Samsung World Rowing Cup 1 in Sydney in March, further underlining the potential that exists within the under-age Australian ranks.
 
Australia also enjoyed success in the Junior Women's Double Scull where Narelle Badenoch (SA), Eleni Kalimnios (TAS) and coach Paul Newbon (TAS) produced an inspiring row to fight back from fifth place at the 500m mark to take the Silver medal in a time of 7:10:82. Kalimnios in particular continues to progress through Rowing Australia’s development pathways, having previously been a part of the 2012 Australian Junior Rowing Team and securing an impressive third place in the open-aged Nell Slater Trophy at the 2013 Interstate Regatta.
 
The 2013 Australian Junior Team, featuring 47 athletes and eleven coaches across eleven crews, was one of the largest ever selected and reinforces Rowing Australia’s commitment to development programs as the sport continues to provide international competition opportunities to best prepare its future Olympic athletes and coaches.
 
One particularly exciting development initiative that will further enhance Rowing Australia’s talent pathway is the Schools Pathway Program which was instigated this year and resulted in the selection of both a Men’s and Women’s Eight from within Australia’s strong schools rowing programs throughout the country. This program provides the opportunity for school crews that are successful at the National Championships to be selected to represent their country, and will further encourage talented young athletes to pursue representative opportunities within Australian rowing.
 
The Junior Men’s Eight crew which was selected under the Schools Pathway Program was comprised entirely of students from the Scotch College (VIC) who won the Australian Schools Championship and Victorian Head of the River. The crew produced a strong performance in their A Final on Sunday to finish fifth in a time of 5:54:82 in what was a spectacular race in which the first three crews all crossed the line within 0.23 seconds of each other. The Australian crew of Lachlan Webster, George Richards, Carter Dickinson, Joshua Nothnagel, Benjamin Strahtmore, Adam Croxford, Max Rennie, Harry Fox, coxswain William Bartley coached by Thomas Woodruff remained in touch throughout the race to finish 2.51 seconds behind the fourth placed Great Britain crew.
 
The Junior Men's Double Scull of Jack Cleary (WA), Tyron Boorman (VIC) coached by Jamie Hewlett (WA), all newcomers to national representation, raced strongly in their A-final to be within touching distance at the 1000m mark before finally succumbing to the pace and experience of their opponents to finish in sixth place with a time of 6:37:82.
 
The Men’s Coxed Four, Women’s Quad Scull, Women’s Four and Women’s Eight all bounced back from the disappointment of narrowly missing out on A finals to produce encouraging performances to win their respective B finals. The Men's Coxed Four combination of Adam Edwards, Thomas McTaggart, Darcy Wruck, Robert Hurn, coxswain Patrick Makeham and coach Brendan McGrath (all QLD), the Women's Quad Scull of Bonnie Andrews (ACT), Sarah Davis (ACT), Amanda Bateman (VIC), Rosalind Cartmill (QLD) and coach Susan Shakespear (QLD) and the Women's Four of Hedda Cooper (VIC), Brittany Staniforth (ACT), Claudia Zucchelli (VIC), Stephanie Miniter (ACT), coached by Michael Steele (VIC) all raced strongly to secure convincing victories, further emphasising the potential within the Junior aged athletes who will be pushing for Senior selection at future Olympic Games.
 
Similarly the Junior Women’s Eight, selected through the Schools Pathway Program from six Melbourne girl schools and comprised of Olivia Zago, Lucy Tomanovits, Pepita Hosking, Rachel Engel, Sophie Coltman, Erin Fahey, Phoebe Rennie, Olivia Douglas coxed by Kimberley Petryshyn and coached by Thomas Abramowski dominated their B final, leading from start to finish to win in convincing fashion by 10.82 seconds.
 
In other Australian results the Men's Coxless Four of Curtis McLeod (QLD), Henry Leef (QLD), Andrew Maglio (VIC), Liam Donald (VIC) and coach Brendon Jooste (QLD) placed second in their B-final, the NSW based Men's Quad Scull of Robert Black, Thomas Schramko, Alexander Purnell, Robin Molen-Grigull coached by Alistair Matthews finished fifth in their B-final, and the Men's Pair of Nudgee College students Harley Moore and Alex King with coach John Bowes (QLD) took out the C-final of their event.
 
For information and results please go to www.worldrowing.com

For a full list of the Australian Junior Rowing Team:  2013 National Team Members