Australia’s squad aims to be best in the world

Australian selectors recently chose an elite squad which men’s head coach Brian Richardson has touted as the strongest he has seen.

At last year’s World Rowing Championships Australia won two medals in Olympic events. Of these, the men’s pair will remain unchanged with Drew Ginn and Duncan Free giving the selectors no doubt about their improving talent. However, the second 2006 gold, the women’s double of Brooke Pratley and Liz Kell are no longer. Despite being named Australian Female Crew of the Year for 2006, the duo did not live up to expectations at the trials with Kell out and Pratley scraping through into the women’s quad.

Instead squad newcomer Pippa Savage will be racing in the women’s double with partner Kerry Hore. This will be Savage’s first year rowing internationally while Hore already has international success with a bronze medal from the Athens Olympics (women’s quad).

With Ginn and Free in the pair, Ginn’s Olympic gold partner, James Tomkins has been selected for the men’s eight. This puts Tomkins, 41, in contention for Olympics number six.

The selected men’s eight is the same crew that finished fourth last year. Tomkins is the only alteration. This crew will be coached by Richardson who, after coaching the Australian men’s eight to silver at the 2000 Olympics, had a stint coaching in Canada. Returning to Australia in 2005, Richardson is back in the men’s eight coaching position this year.

The only Olympic event that Australia will not contest is the women’s single. Australian Rowing is already addressing this with their ‘Breaking the Drought’ talent identification programme. On the lookout for top high school rowers to be single scullers, the nation hopes to break a 50 year international medal winning drought in the men’s and women’s open single.

Currently Germany leads the way in Olympic event results earning 59 points at last year’s World Rowing Championships. Australia picked up the second most points with 42, while Great Britain was third (38 points).

The Australian squad will contest the first Rowing World Cup in Linz/Ottensheim at the start of June. They will stay in Europe for the second Rowing World Cup (Amsterdam, 22 – 24 June). The team will then train back in Australia, returning to Europe for the World Rowing Championships.

The under 23 team was also selected.