The Australian Under 23 Rowing Team commences its Under 23 World Rowing Championships campaign tonight (AEST) with the first heats containing the U23 Women’s Four of Hannah Vermeersch (WA/WAIS/West Australian Rowing Club), Alexandra Hagan (WA/WAIS/Swan River Rowing Club), Charlotte Sutherland (VIC/VIS/Mercantile Rowing Club), Lucy Stephan (VIC/VIS/Melbourne University Boat Club), and coached by Mark Fangen-Hall (VIC/Mercantile). This crew’s hard fought Silver Medal two weeks ago at the Samsung World Cup III Regatta in Lucerne has underpinned their preparations for the first heat of these Championships at Ottensheim, 10 kilometres out of Linz, Austria.
In addition theMen’s Quad Scullof Hamish Playfair (NSW/Sydney University Boat Club), Peter Koster (NSW/NSWIS/Sydney University Boat Club), Tim Cleary (VIC/Mercantile Rowing Club), Michael Poulter (VIC/Melbourne University Boat Club) and coached by Mark Prater (NSW/Sydney University Boat Club) will also draw on their Lucerne World Cup III experiences as they take on one of the most hotly contested events at the Championships.
The Australian team faces stiff competition at the Under 23 World Rowing Championship with over 50 nations set to challenge the Australian crews over the course of the regatta.
The weather in Austria, forecast to be in excess of 30 degrees, has caused FISA, world rowing’s governing body, to issue a hot weather alert for the week-end of finals racing.
Australia’s 14 crews totalling 55 athletes and support staff result in a total team size of 73, in what is one of the largest teams to row at the Under 23 World Championships and underpins Rowing Australia’s commitment to developing emerging rowers that are aiming for senior A selection over coming years as we head towards the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The Under 23 Women’s Lightweight Quad of Jessica Bower (WA/Fremantle Rowing Club), Emma Jones (WA/WAIS/Australian Native's Association Rowing Club), Emma Webly (VIC/Melbourne University Boat Club) and Sarah Pound (NSW/NSWIS/UTS Rowing Club) coached by Ellen Randell will face the highly favoured German and Danish crews as they fight for the first two spots which progress straight to final A.
Australia will also have two Junior aged rowers stepping up to Under 23 level in Jessica Allen (NSW/NSWIS/Mosman Rowing Club) and Genevieve Horton (NSW/NSWIS/Mosman Rowing Club) coached by Alfred Young in the Women’s Pair race. This combination will be watched with interest throughout the regatta before they also compete at the World Junior Rowing Championships in Lithuania in two weeks time.
The Under 23 Men’s Four of James Medway (NSW/Sydney University Boat Club/Harvard University Boat Club), Timothy Masters (VIC/Banks Rowing Club/Princeton University), Louis Snelson (NSW/Sydney Rowing Club/University of California Berkley) and Aaron Wright (NSW/Mosman Rowing Club/University of California Berkley) coached by Andy Randell have been selected out of their USA colleges, a recent initiative from Rowing Australia to ensure that talented athletes on scholarships in the USA are provided a pathway to compete for their country and are retained within the sport. The crew will face Great Britain and Romania amongst others later in the day and will have the benefit of previous World Rowing Championship experiences when they hit the water tonight (AEST).
Australia’s first day of heats is capped off with the Men’s Lightweight Single Scull of Sean Lake (VIC/AIS/Mercantile Rowing Club), coached by David Fraumano, and then the Men’s Heavyweight Single Scull of Max McQueeney (TAS/Buckingham Rowing Club) coached by David Poulsen.
The remainder of the Australian crews will hit the water on Thursday and Friday morning (AEDT).
The full overview of the 2013 Under 23 Rowing Team is available by clicking on: 2013 National Team Members
- All Sports
.jpg)
