Australia lines up the next generation

Australia set off on the first leg towards the Beijing 2008 Olympics with a national training camp. Over 70 aspiring athletes have come together at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra in the first camp in four years where men and women have trained together.

“We have done some basic biomechanical and anthropometric assessment whilst working hard on the water on skill improvements,” says Rowing Australia’s High Performance Director Noel Donaldson.

Olympic bronze medallist from the women’s quad Amber Bradley and Kerry Hore have also joined the camp. Bradley won the single in 1997 at the Junior World Championships and is adding sweep rowing to her repertoire by trying out the pair with Kehoe. “You never know what opportunities lie ahead!” says Donaldson.  

Craig Jones, who raced in the single at Athens, leads the men’s group in the absence of the senior Olympians. “It is likely that Jones will be joined later in the summer by the likes of David Crawshay, Scott Brennan, Bo Hanson and Geoff Stewart,” says Donaldson as the squad builds up towards the World Rowing Championships in Gifu, Japan.

Australian Jones in Athens
© Getty Images/Robert Laberge

The camp attendees have been rowing twice in the morning and alternate between rowing machine, weights and running sessions in the afternoon. There are also educational sessions, video review, media training and drug education lectures. Almost all of the athletes have been tested by the Australian Sports Drug Agency.
 
The camp has also brought together 15 head coaches from around Australia along with the new national women’s Technical Coordinator, Lyall McCarthy. Donaldson said the group has been discussing the direction and policies that will form the strategies for the next four years. “There is a great spirit of comradeship amongst the coaches and a great willingness to work together,” says Donaldson.

The programme will continue next month with a women’s development camp for a further 12 athletes and at regular intervals smaller camps will be held for the senior athletes in their preparation for the World Rowing Championships.

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