Rowing race signals return of Drew Ginn

Ginn last raced at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games when he, with partner Duncan Free, won the men’s pair. Ginn then returned to Australia to undergo surgery for his lower back almost immediately. Ginn then moved into cycle racing and made a name for himself as one of the best road cyclists in Australia.

Rowing for a fourth gold medal must have remained on Ginn’s mind. Just one and a half years out from the 2012 London Olympics Ginn looks in a good position to make another Olympic gold a reality.

Ginn, however, has stated the pair is not an option. Ginn would like to return to the boat that earned him his first Olympic gold, the men’s four. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, Ginn took gold in the boat that came to be known as the ‘Oarsome Foursome’, one of the most famous rowing combinations in Australian rowing history.

"It's been all too long since Australia won the four and having been a part of the last victory there's certainly pride across the whole group to rectify that situation," Ginn told the Western Australian newspaper. "And even better would be for us to do it on the Poms' (British) home soil – that's not lost on us that's for sure.”

Ginn has returned to full time rowing training based mainly in his home town of Melbourne. He will race again at the Australian National Championships in March.

In other State races Olympic medallist Kerry Hore dominated both the women’s single and double, winning both. Hore took a break after the Beijing Olympics but returned to rowing last year racing to silver in the women’s double sculls at the 2010 World Rowing Championships.

The women’s pair was easily won by Sarah Tait and Phoebe Stanley. This is the same duo that finished fourth at the 2010 World Rowing Championships. Chris Morgan won the men’s single and, like Kerry Hore, also finished first in the double.