Tomkins and Boron lead rowing’s best for 2007

Tomkins stroked the Australian eight this year

Tomkins returned to international rowing this year, after a post-2004 Olympic hiatus, in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games. Tomkins, 42, won gold at Athens in the men’s pair and this year was brought into stroke seat of Australia’s men’s eight. The eight just missed out on qualifying for 2008 at this year’s World Rowing Championships, but Tomkins fully plans to make sure the boat qualifies at the last chance qualification regatta next year in July.

If Tomkins is successful he will be off to his sixth Olympic Games with the goal of adding a fourth gold to his Olympic collection. Tomkins was part of the famed Oarsome Foursome that won gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. In 2000 Tomkins was in the pair ready for the Sydney Games when his partner, Drew Ginn, had to pull out due to injury in the eleventh hour. Tomkins went on to win bronze with replacement, Matthew Long. Known for his technical brilliance and adaptability, Tomkins’ technique is often used as an example in training rowers.

	Top of the women, Kathrin Boron, 37, cried on the Athens medals podium in 2004 when Sir Matthew Pinsent presented her with Olympic gold number four. A World Championship silver in 2005 was unacceptable to Boron and she took some time out from international rowing to regroup. She returned this season in the single but Boron decided she was better placed racing in her key event, the quad.
Boron raced this year in the women's quad

This year at the Munich World Rowing Championships Boron raced in the bow seat of Germany’s quad and finished second. As a racer Boron is only ever satisfied with first, but accepted their silver medal race was the best race they had had. “This result is ok,” Boron conceded.

Boron says a glass of wine the night before a big race is part of her preparation.

Following Boron are four Romanians who all raced to gold in the women’s eight at Athens then slipped quietly into retirement from international racing. They are back this year helping their eight qualify for next year’s Olympics and picking up silver in the process. Georgeta Damian-Andrunache and Viorica Susanu also doubled up in 2004 and won the pair. Doina Ignat is back in stroke seat of the eight and Elena Georgescu-Nedelic returns as coxswain.

Belarus’s best, Ekaterina Karsten was first in the top 10 list in 2006, but slips to sixth in this pre-Olympic year.

Behind Tomkins, number two on the top 10 men’s list for 2007 is Denmark’s Eskild Ebbesen. Ebbesen won gold in the lightweight men’s four at Athens and has returned to the international scene this year with a new-look, young four being built around him. Tomkin’s 2004 pair partner and also former Oarsome Foursome member, Drew Ginn sits in third with two-time Olympic Champion lightweight double duo, Robert Sycz and Tomasz Kucharski of Poland in fourth and fifth.

Last year’s number one on the men’s list, Daniele Gilardoni of Italy drops back to number six under this year’s new classification system that weights Olympic medals against World Championship medals. Gilardoni is an eight-time World Champion but has yet to win an Olympic medal.

Top 10 Men for 2007
1. James Tomkins (AUS)
2. Eskild Ebbesen (DEN)
3. Drew Ginn (AUS)
4. Robert Sycz (POL)
5. Tomasz Kucharski (POL)
6. Daniele Gilardoni (ITA)
7. Iztok Cop (SLO)
8. Leonardo Pettinari (ITA)
9. Steve Williams (GBR)
10. Rossano Galtarossa (ITA)

Top 10 Women for 2007
1. Kathrin Boron (GER)
2. Georgeta Damian-Andrunache (ROU)
3. Doina Ignat (ROU)
4. Viorica Susanu (ROU)
5. Elena Georgescu-Nedelic (ROU)
6. Ekaterina Karsten (BLR)
7. Manuela Lutze (GER)
8. Caroline Evers-Swindell (NZL)
8. Georgina Evers-Swindell (NZL)
10. Lesley Thompson-Willie (CAN)

To be eligible for the 2007 Top 10 male or female rower, athletes have to actively row in 2007 at the elite international level by taking part at the World Rowing Championships or any of the Rowing World Cups. The annual top 10 are defined according to medal count with Olympic medals worth three times as much as a World Championship medal. Athletes are listed in order of ranking.

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