Positive result for Britain at Youth Olympics

The format of three events per athlete played well for Great Britain’s Matthew Rossiter and team mate George Nash. The duo finished the 2009 Australian Youth Olympic Festival (AYOF) with a rowing hat trick.

Rossiter and Nash rowed together in the men’s pair, the four and the eight winning gold in all three events and pushing the Great Britain team of 20 to an overall win. Following a format of teams of 20 from Great Britain, China, New Zealand and the seven states of Australia, each of the 20 rowers must compete in three events, one being the eight. Racing at the 2000 Sydney Olympic rowing course in Penrith, Great Britain succeeded in winning seven of the 12 races.  

Rossiter, 19, and Nash, 19, have both been rowing since they were in their early teens and in 2007 they were part of the British junior team. Together in the men’s four they claimed the only gold medal for their country at the World Rowing Junior Championships held in Beijing. Rossiter then went on to be selected directly into the British under-23 squad, rowing in Great Britain’s men’s eight at the 2008 World Rowing Under 23 Championships. Meanwhile Nash spent a gap year coaching and rowing in Australia.

As a springboard towards the Olympic Games, racing at the AYOF is likely to serve both Rossiter and Nash well as they plan to continue rowing at the elite level.

Winners of the women’s events were split evenly between New Zealand and Great Britain. New Zealand’s Leah Stanley was successful in the women’s single while one of the biggest surprise victories was New Zealand’s win in the women’s eight. Great Britain were the favourites to win after finishing first in their heat ahead of South Australia and New Zealand. But a strong race by New Zealand in the final, later the same day, gave the New Zealanders the gold. Queensland and South Australia finished second and third respectively leaving the British out of the medals in fourth.

Australia’s New South Wales crew pushed Great Britain into second in the men’s quad when they finished just two-tenths of a second ahead of the visitors. Australia was also successful in the men’s single with Tasmania’s Taylor Wilczyuski placing first.

On the first day of racing athletes competed in windy conditions while day two was a hot 30 degrees Celsius with no wind.

The AYOF began as an important legacy to the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games with a mission to help future Olympic athletes. It has been staged every second year since 2001 and has grown to over 1500 athletes competing from 27 countries. Due to the cost of staging the Festival and the establishment of the IOC-sponsored Youth Olympics that begin in 2010, the Australian Olympic Committee has decided to hold their Festival every four years from now on.

For a full list of results, click here.