2002 Australian Team Selected

By Andrew Butler of Rowing Australia

After ten days of trials the Australian team has finally been chosen, but in some squads such as the women’s eight who are keen to regain the World Championship title that they won in Lucerne last year there will be further modifications made to crews as they compete over the European summer.

The initial racing of the trials were conducted on the Sydney Olympic course at Penrith, before they moved to Canberra to complete seat trialling before finishing with a speed order trial in the selected combinations.

The squad includes all of the crew from last years successful eight along with Olympic silver medallist Rachel Taylor and Monique Heinke who has made the transition from sculling to rowing with a successful domestic season including victory in the pair at the Australian Championships.

The Australian women’s eight with their 2001 World Championships gold medals

The women’s squad will once again be coached by Lyall McCarthy at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra and will race in a variety of boats in Europe, including the pair, four and the double scull.

Amber Bradley, Sally Robbins and Donna Martin who were all member of last year’s women’s quad, which took victory at the World under 23 regatta and then went on to gain a very respectable fourth place in Lucerne will be joined by Dana Faletic and will again be coached by Alan Bennett and will also train at the AIS.

Sally Causby and Amber Halliday who were both members of the successful lightweight quad in 2001, have been stand out performers all season and have been rewarded with selection in the double scull, while the Rowing Australia selectors have decided to continue their development of this category, with a whole new crew being selected to compete in the quad.

The men’s team will welcome the return of James Tomkins and Drew Ginn who have been selected in the coxless pair, which if all goes according to plan could make for an intriguing showdown against the champion British pair of Pinsent and Cracknell. Both Pinsent and Tomkins have had long and successful careers, but the Worlds in Seville could be the first time the two successful oarsmen race against each other at the highest level.

Tomkins and Ginn in the pair in 1999

In a controversial race at Penrith, Tomkins and Ginn were beaten by Robert Jahrling and Tom Laurich but after further racing as a part of the speed order trial the new pair combination from Sydney were selected to race as the coxed pair.

Olympic silver medallist’s Anthony Edwards and Simon Burgess who make a return to the national team this year and Haimish Karrasch, who was a member of the Olympic double scull in Sydney will provide a wealth of experience to the nine man lightweight squad, which will make up the four, pair, double and single.

Duncan Free again proved to be Australia’s best single sculler and will be making the journey to Europe to continue competing in the single scull. Craig Jones topped off an extremely successful season with the celebration of his 30^th birthday, along with selection in the double scull with Peter Hardcastle.

As was the case in 2001 the men’s eight is made up of talented young group of rowers including three of last year’s crew, but the coaching will be taken over by Nick Garratt, who coached the women’s pair in Lucerne and the men’s quad in 2000.

The trials were also used to select the team for the World Junior Championships and also the team for the World under 23 regatta.

Full details of the team are available on www.rowingaustralia.com.au