Great Britain to clash with Australia at Youth Olympic Festival

Rowing at the 2009 Australian Youth Olympic Festival is due to get underway on 17 January with 200 athletes competing in the event that has become a stepping stone towards the Olympic Games.

Australia hosts the Youth Olympic Festival every two years and this year they have invited China, New Zealand and Great Britain to compete against rowers from the seven states of Australia.

The growing rowing rivalry between Australia and Great Britain has turned what was formerly a trans-Tasman tussle into an important clash between Great Britain and Australia with both countries fielding very strong teams.  

The Festival is viewed as an important stepping stone for young athletes in their path to become future Olympic athletes and this concept has been fully embraced by Great Britain. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics 15 rowers had competed at the Australian Youth Olympics. They included Great Britain’s Tom Lucy who won silver in the men’s eight and Scott Brennan of Australia who became the Olympic Champion in the men’s double.

Racing follows a unique arrangement. Each country (or Australian region) has a team of 20 rowers (six heavyweight men, six heavyweight women, two lightweight men, two lightweight women, two coxswains and two reserves) and each of the rowers will compete in three events. The three events must include a small boat (single, pair or lightweight double), a big boat (quad or four) and the eight.

Racing will take place over two days at the Sydney International Regatta Centre in Penrith. Heats for small boats will be held on Saturday 17 January in the morning followed by the finals which will start at 12 noon. The big boat heats will then race starting at 15:30. Sunday’s racing will start in the morning with the big boat finals followed by the heats for the eights. The finals for the eights will race at 13.00.

The Festival began on 14 January and has attracted 1550 athletes from 27 countries competing in 17 sports. To compete athletes must be 19 years or younger.

For more information: www.olympics.com.au