World Rowing announces the 2011 Golden Blades of St Petersburg City Sprints

The international turn-out of single scullers for the televised Elite Sprint races, reads like a who’s who from recent Olympic Games and World Rowing Championships: four-time World Champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand, Great Britain’s leading single sculler Alan Campbell, and World Champion and Olympic medallist in the double sculls Luka Spik of Slovenia will all be competing in the men’s single sculls.

 

Similarly, the women’s single sculls will showcase the top women of the moment: Ekaterina Karsten-Khodotovitch (BLR) five-time Olympic medallist and four-time World Champion, racing alongside top women scullers Frida Svensson (SWE), Emma Twigg (NZL), Mirka Knapkova (CZE), Julia Levina (RUS) and Iva Obradovic (SRB). 

 

In addition to the single scullers, a number of men’s and women’s eights crews will be racing in the international programme.

 

Matt Smith, FISA’s Executive Director explained: ”We are very pleased to have the opportunity to be involved with this new City Sprints event in St. Petersburg. City sprints events allow us to bring our sport to the centre of the cities, to new places and allows us to present the stars of our sport to a greater public. They also provide a unique opportunity to create a new television and media platform for these great athletes and for the sport. In addition, this event will assist with the promotion and development of our sport in St. Petersburg and help the great rowing nation of Russia return to a position of strength. We are very grateful to Gazprombank, Parmigiani Fleurier Watches and Steven Redgrave, who is a Patron of this event, for their great support and co-operation in this unique initiative.”

 

The following athletes and crews have confirmed their participation in the event:

 

Men’s Single Sculls:

Mahe Drysdale NZL (2009 World Champion)

Alan Campbell GBR (2010 Bronze medallist at the World Rowing Championships)

Luka Spik SLO (2010 5th place at the World Rowing Championships)

 

Women’s Single Sculls:

Frida Svensson SWE (2010 World Champion)

Ekaterina Karsten BLR (2010 Silver Medallist at the World Rowing Championships)

Emma Twigg NZL (2010 Bronze medallist at the World Rowing Championships)

Mirka Knapkova CZE (2010 4th place at the World Rowing Championships)

Julia Levina RUS (2010 5th place at the World Rowing Championships)

Iva Obradovic SRB (2010 6th place at the World Rowing Championships)

 

Women’s Eights:

CANADA (2010 Silver medallist at the World Rowing Championships)

NETHERLANDS (2008 silver medallists at the Olympic Games)

 

Men's Eights:

GERMANY (2010 World Champions)

THE NETHERLANDS

USA

 

In addition to the main programme, races will be held for juniors, university crews and masters rowers.

 

Along with the expected large crowds, the sprints will be aired on Russian television and the aim is to promote the development of rowing in Russia. St Petersburg has long been the capital of Russian rowing and it is hoped that the event will reinvigorate the Leningrad school of rowing.

 

This regatta is part of a concept of City Sprint regattas which is intended to develop into a series sanctioned by FISA over the coming years.

 

 

About GAZPROMBANK – Title Sponsor:

 

The Gazprombank  Group is a uniquely structured entity in terms of  its degree of diversification, the linchpin of  what is the nation-wide and one of the largest full-service banks. The Group incorporates major companies in the fields of finance, petrochemical and heavy machinery industries and media business. 

GPB’s employees are highly skilled professionals who know these industries from inside and have necessary expertise to resolve asset management issues at the level of  boards of directors.  

 

Such diversification provides the Group with additional strength which has been compellingly demonstrated during the recent periods of global economic volatility. The Group’s subsidiary and affiliated companies and banks have introduced uniform operating standards and developed common approaches to corporate management, planning, budgeting, reporting and risk management.

 

 

About PARMIGIANI FLEURIER – Partner:

 

Renowned as one of the most prestigious names in Swiss Haute Horlogerie, Parmigiani Fleurier has nearly fifteen year's experience in manufacturing each model as a showpiece, created and perfected within its own network of ateliers. Founder Michel Parmigiani had conceived the brand's spirit as far back as 1976 through his work restoring watchmaking artefacts and his unrivalled knowledge of the mechanical marvels of the past. Since then, major industrial challenges have been met, in order to bring together all this expertise within one complete and autonomous Manufacture. Over twenty ladies' and men's collections, all fitted with the movements developed in-house by Parmigiani, now form the basis of the brand's success.