FISA Team Cup launches the season

Rowers from 10 nations come back into competition mode this weekend to race in Seville, Spain. The 15th FISA Team Cup will stir up the waters of the Guadalquivir and shake up the long-distance winter training regime with two days of sprint racing.

The women’s single is likely to be one of the more hotly contested events with lightweight Olympic Champion Marit van Eupen of the Netherlands taking on heavyweight Olympian Elisabetta Sancassani of Italy. Russia’s Yulia Kalinovskaya is also likely to put up a good fight. Kalinovskaya finished second in the quad at last year’s European Championships and is moving up through the ranks of Russian scullers.

The lightweight men’s single has attracted the most number of entries with 17 boats competing including a strong presence from Spanish clubs against tough Italian competition.

Noticeable in their absence are regular FISA Team Cup participants Great Britain who have chosen not to race in Seville this year.

The two days of racing (21 – 22 February) features 1000m sprints on the first day followed by fast-action 500m dashes on day two. Points will be scored for placings in the 11 events and countries will accumulate team points over the two days to determine the FISA Team Cup winner.

For more information go to: www.fisateamcup.es