Australia Honours Top Female Rowers

Australia’s Double World Championships gold medallists Jane Robinson, Jo Lutz, Vicky Roberts and Julia Wilson were granted the Zurich Rower of the Year Award 2001 this weekend in Brisbane, Australia.

The four were awarded this prestigious prize for their outstanding performance in this years World Championships, where they won both the women’s coxless four and women’s eight making them four out of the only 16 rowers to have ever won two gold medals in one World Championship Regatta.

But the four’s achievements this year also included a first at Henley in the eight, and a gold and silver medal at the Zurich Rowing World Cup in Munich in the coxless four and the eight respectively. This is the best ever achieved by Australian women.

The four were not alone to be honoured at the award ceremony. The remaining four rowers and cox of the Australian Women’s eight – Jodi Winter, Emily Martin, Rebecca Sattin, Kristina Larsen and Carly Bilson – were given special recognition for achieving a World Championships title.

The lightweight Quad – Catriona Roach, Amber Halliday, Sally Causby and Josephine Lips were recognised for their own Championship gold medal, as well as for setting the new world best time for their event three times on their way to the podium.

Duncan Free, who was the first Australian man for over ten years to make a World Championship Singles final, as well as winning the Diamond Sculls at Henley and first place in the single sculls at the Head of the Charles Regatta, was awarded a Special Recognition Award.

The Zurich Rower of the Year Awards is an annual event hosted by Zurich Australia.

This year’s ceremony was held on Saturday 10 November at the Brisbane Convention Centre. For more information, visit Rowing Australia’s official website on www.rowingaustralia.com.