Huge field for first Rowing World Cup

Looking towards the finish line

The highest number of entries are from the winner of last year’s Rowing World Cup Overall Trophy, Germany, with 37 boats. Next in line, and promising some tremendous surprises is the 27 strong boat entry from China who have entered crews in all but two events.

This regatta sees the return to rowing for some of the best. Denmark’s Eskild Ebbesen is making a comeback after winning gold at the Athens Olympics while Derek Porter of Canada hasn’t competed internationally since the 2000 Olympics and returns in the men’s double. Four-time Olympic Champion Kathrin Boron of Germany is back after a year off and will be chasing World Champion Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus in the women’s single.

The men’s double is packed full of top names with five of the top six boats from last year’s World Rowing Championships returning. Digging deeper into the event reveals rowing stalwart, 41 year old Jueri Jaanson of Estonia, silver medallist in Athens, as well as Australia’s current top single sculler, David Crawshay is in the mix as are Hungary’s former World Champions, Akos Haller and Tibor Peto. Top favourites, though, are France’s Adrien Hardy and Jean-Baptiste Macquet.

Grandstand area

The event will be video streamed live and can be accessed through the www.worldrowing.com website.

The Rowing World Cup series was launched in 1997 and includes all 14 Olympic boat classes. The overall Rowing World Cup champions are determined after a series of three regattas. Germany has dominated the series since its beginning ten years ago. This year, the three stages of the series will be held in Linz/Ottensheim, Austria (1-3 June), Amsterdam, the Netherlands (22-24 June) and the final in Lucerne, Switzerland (13-15 July).

Visit the official website of the International Rowing Federation and the Rowing World Cup www.worldrowing.com, for a full list of entries, a racing timetable as well as an extensive boat class preview. During racing, this website will provide live scoring, interviews, photographs, press releases, start lists and full results.

Media accreditation can be requested through the website (www.worldrowing.com > media > media accreditation).
For more information contact Marion Gallimore, FISA Marketing and Communications Manager on tel: +41.21.617.83.73 or direct +41 21 612 02 26 E-mail: marion.gallimore@fisa.org
 

Overlooking the Danube River Ottensheim course

About Linz/Ottensheim:
Located in upper Austria, Linz is the third largest city of Austria and the countries’ second economic centre. The regatta course in Ottensheim was built in 1972 on an arm of the Danube River. Recent renovations and dredging has widened the course to eight lanes, bringing it up to international regatta standards. This year’s Rowing World Cup is the first FISA sanctioned event held on this course since 1998 and will be the perfect test for the 2008 World Rowing Senior and Junior Championships.

Ottensheim itself is one of the most popular recreational areas around Linz and offers numerous outdoor activities such as cycling, skating, hiking and, of course, rowing. Its rich history as one of the most important trade routes to Bohemia as well as several archaeological discoveries dating back 4000 years make this small town an interesting place to visit.