07 Dec 2011
Finalists chosen for 2006 FISA awards
By Melissa Bray
2006 FISA Male Crew of the Year:
Finalists (listed in alphabetical order according to country):
o Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Quist (LM2x, DEN): Mads and Rasmus have been in the double together since 2001 and at the Athens Olympics they wavered just outside the medals in fourth. The duo stepped up a notch last year to take silver and this year they dominated the World Rowing Championships breaking to a clear lead in the final and winning this usually close race by a healthy margin.
o Steve Williams, Peter Reed, Alex Partridge and Andrew Triggs-Hodge (M4-, GBR): The four came together as the new post-Athens British flagship crew and since debuting at the start of the 2005 season, they have not lost a race. The four finish up their 2006 season as back-to-back World Champions.
o Mahe Drysdale (M1x, NZL): Drysdale successfully defended his World Championship title this year at Eton by out-rowing rival Marcel Hacker in the last stroke of the race.
o Konrad Wasielewski, Marek Kolbowicz, Michal Jelinski and Adam Korol (M4x, POL): This Polish quad is turning into one of Poland’s most successful crews ever with back to back World Championship titles and ownership of the new World Best Time. With two new members from the fourth placed Athens Olympic crew, this crew has every intention of going after the 2008 Olympic gold.
Previous winners: Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell (GBR), James Tomkins and Drew Ginn (AUS), GBR men’s four Matthew Pinsent, Ed Coode, James Cracknell and Steve Williams, SLO M2x Iztok Cop and Luka Spik.
2006 FISA Female Crew of the Year:
Finalists (listed in alphabetical order according to country):
o Ekaterina Karsten (W1x, BLR): No other single sculler has been able to touch Ekaterina’s pace since the retirement of long-standing rivals Rumyana Neykova and Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski. Since then Ekaterina has won every race she entered (bar one head race two weeks ago) including the last two World Rowing Championships. The Belarusian, now residing in Germany, hasn’t just been winning; she has been dominating her races, often able to cross the finish line with barely a sprint.
o Dongxiang Xu and Shimin Yan (LW2x, CHN): This has been quite the season for Dongxiang. She opened it by winning two medals at the first Rowing World Cup (lightweight double gold and lightweight single bronze), then took gold again at the second World Cup and, paired up with Shimin, set a new World Best Time. Then at the World Rowing Championships the duo became World Champions. This has been a fast track for Shimin who just turned 19 this year but already has a Rowing World Cup medal from the single (2005). The more experienced Dongxiang rowed in the final at the Athens Olympics.
o Brett Sickler, Megan Cooke, Anna Goodale, Lindsay Shoop, Anna Mickelson, Susan Francia, Caroline Lind, Caryn Davies and cox Mary Whipple (W8+, USA): World Champions in 2006 this women’s eight have been developing and growing in experience over the recent years with three of this crew winning silver at the Athens Olympics. At the 2005 World Rowing Championships (which included five of these athletes) they were leading throughout the race in the final only to be engulfed at the line into unlucky fourth. The crew made no mistakes this year to become World Champions and set a new World Best Time.
Previous winners: Rumyana Neykova (BUL), Caroline Evers-Swindell & Georgina Evers-Swindell (NZL) – twice, Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski (GER)
2006 FISA Coach of the Year:
Finalists (listed in alphabetical order):
o Adrian David, coach of Australia’s women’s double and lightweight double. At the 2006 World Rowing Championships, Adrian’s double not only won gold but dethroned three-time winners, the Evers-Swindell twins of New Zealand. Then in the very competitive lightweight double, Adrian’s crew picked up a silver medal. Adrian is originally from Romania where he started coaching in 1976.
o Gianni Postiglione, technical director, Greece. Originally from Italy, Gianni took over the role in Greece after the Athens Olympics and has played a part of the continued improvement of many Greek crews. Greece scored gold and two silvers at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships and bronze at the World Rowing Championships. Gianni also consults for the Japanese Olympic Committee.
o Tom Terhaar, head women’s coach, United States. Tom came from collegiate coaching and United States assistant team coach to the position of head women’s coach in 2001. As head coach Tom’s crews have won medals at both the World Cup and World Championship level including this year’s gold in the women’s eight and previously Olympic gold at Athens.
Previous winners: Bent Jensen, Al Morrow, Juergen Groebler, Jutta Lau, Mike Spracklen, Giuseppe LaMura, Mike Teti, Dick Tonks
2006 FISA Distinguished Service to International Rowing:
Finalists (listed in alphabetical order):
o Penny Chuter, former head coach of Great Britain and member of FISA’s competitive rowing commission, Great Britain. Penny was a rowing trendsetter in many ways. Starting out as one of the few competitive women rowers competing internationally in the early 1960s (European Championships). Penny went on to be the first British head coach that was a woman taking up the position in 1973. She can attribute names like Sir Steve Redgrave in her portfolio of athletes that she has coached. Penny joined FISA’s women’s commission 1983 and then in 1985 joined the competitive commission where she remained until 2006.
o Jose Nunes, former chair of FISA’s adaptive commission, Portugal. In 2001 when FISA created the adaptive commission Jose became the first chair of the commission. He remained in this position until 2005 and in that time Jose was one of the forces towards rowing becoming an event at the Paralympic Games.
o Don Rowlands, former president of Rowing New Zealand, New Zealand. Don has dedicated his life to rowing. He started as a competitive rower and then moved to administration of the sport from national team selector, to chairman of the 1978 World Rowing Championships in New Zealand and numerous other roles.
Previous winners: Klaus Filter (GER), Thor Nilsen (NOR), Mike Sweeney (GBR), Werner Conrad (GER)
Initial nominations for the FISA awards are made by FISA’s council, commission and staff. The council then decides the finalists (listed above) and the ultimate decision in each of the categories is made by FISA’s executive committee with the help of the chair of the women’s, athletes and competitive commissions.
Winners will be announced at the FISA Coaches Conference in Cyprus, the first weekend of November.
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