Para-rowers trial 2000m racing in anticipation of change

The annual week-long rowing regatta is open to top competitors from across Australia competing for their clubs, schools and states and for the first time para-rowers were given the chance to race the full 2000m course rather than the current standard 1000m distance.

The longer distance races were included as demonstration events with1000m events still included earlier in the week.

Hong Kong made the trip with both a para and non-para team to race in several events including against members of the Australian National Team over the 1000m and 2000m para-rowing distances.

“We hope this race will be evidence that para rowers can race over 2000m,” says Tara Huntly, Para Rowing Talent Development Coordinator for Rowing Australia and member of the FISA Para-Rowing Commission. “With the increased depth of para-rowing in Australia and anticipation that races could possibly change to 2000m in 2017, we thought it was a good time to showcase para rowing over 2000m. With Hong Kong coming to the regatta it was a perfect time to have two nations competing against each other.”

The Hong Kong para-rowers were at the Penrith Regatta Centre four days in advance to take part in a training camp. “The purpose,” says Alan Bennett from Rowing NSW, who helped organise the camp, “was to get more race experience and also to become involved with other para athletes to exchange ideas to further their knowledge on training and racing.”

For the 2000m race, the start was handicapped, so that the crews would come together towards the end of the race. The winner was the boat to first cross the line.

Six crews lined up at the starting platform for a joint race made up of five different events. Rosemary Little in the para AS women’s single sculls was the first to leave. Then World Champion in the para AS men’s single sculls, Erik Horrie of Australia started along with Hong Kong’s Ajmal Victor Samuel. Next was the para TA mixed double sculls of World Champions Kathryn Ross and Gavin Bellis followed by para LTA mixed double sculls of Ka Man Chan and Chi Choi Aniel Yau from Honk Kong. Finally the para LTA mixed coxed four got to start.

Spectators were treated to an exciting finish by Horrie who managed to hold his lead over the fast-approaching para LTA mixed coxed four.

“We are aiming at the implementation of the 2000m race distance for para-rowers from 2017,” says Fay Ho, Chair of the FISA Para-Rowing Commission. “Everyone would like to have an integrated programme and the para events can be fully integrated, which means no delay in schedule and the shared use of the course for training, etc.”

Ho concludes that there are many things to consider in the future of para-rowing at the international level and that these ideas will be shared for positive feedback at this year’s World Championships.

The Sydney International Rowing Regatta is Australia’s premier rowing event. The highlight event is the King’s and Queen’s Cup for interstate men’s and women’s eights. Winning both the King’s and Queen’s Cups was the State of Victoria.  The winning King’s Cup crew included Olympic medallists David Crawshay, William Lockwood, Karsten Fosterling and Joshua Dunkley-Smith. They beat the seven-time winning crew of New South Wales.

For the Queen’s Cup, Victoria won for the 11th time in a row. The crew included Olympic medallist Kim Crow as well as a number of Australian national team members.