23 Sep 2017
Did you know these athletes racing at 2017 World Rowing Championships?
Some have been competing internationally for years, while others are debuting at their first World Rowing Championships.
Scroll down to discover some of rowing’s exceptional individuals.
Felice Chow (Trinidad and Tobago)
Born in Trinidad and Tobago but based in the United States. Chow went to the University of Miami in Florida on an academic scholarship. That is where she discovered rowing. “I was a walk-on to the rowing team,” says Chow. “Before college, I’d been a swimmer and practiced martial arts, but neither were as challenging or as fun for me as rowing. I was hooked from the get-go!”
Chow qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games through the 2016 FISA Americas Olympic Qualification Regatta and raced in Rio in the women’s single sculls.
“Last year was my first racing at an elite international level and I felt pretty green,” says Chow. “I hope that the work and training I’ve put in over the last year will result in better race execution this year at Worlds.”
Outside of rowing she works as a scientist in biotech research and development. Chow will race in the women’s single sculls at the 2017 World Rowing Championships.
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Rebecca Scown (New Zealand)
Doubling up in the women’s pair and the eight at the Rio Olympics is just one of Scown’s achievements. “We were the first women’s eight New Zealand has had in the Olympics and the first women’s eight to medal at the World Championships” says Scown who finished with a silver in the pair and a fourth-place finish in the eight.
Much of Scown’s success has come in the pair with two World Champion titles, three World Championship bronze medals and an Olympic bronze in London.
Scown comes from a very sporty family and started rowing in high school because her sister and brother were rowing at the time and she did not want to miss out. Currently Scown is the only returning Olympic medallist on the New Zealand team. In Sarasota-Bradenton, she will race in the women’s eight.
Cristian Rosso has been at the forefront of Argentinean rowing for years after began rowing at age 14. His father rowed as a teenager and his younger brother, Brian is now also an international rower. He comes to these World Championships with two A-final finishes this season with his partner in the men’s double sculls, Rodrigo Murillo.
Rosso began competing internationally as an under-23 rower in 2006 and finished fourth at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. “Many people had seen us and knew that some guys in rowing had been near the medals. It created more interest in rowing with many new people wanting to learn to row,” says Rosso.
In parallel to his rowing career, Rosso completed his studies in law and is now a qualified lawyer.
Ozave Miller (St Vincent and the Grenadines)
Ozave Miller is just 17 years old. He grew up in the seaside village of Layou where he spent most of his time in the sea, swimming and deep spear fish diving. A primary school teacher who lived in the same street as Miller thought that, due to his experience in the sea, he would be the right fit for rowing. His powerful stature also lent itself to his recommendation.
In April 2016, the St Vincent and the Grenadines Rowing Association was offered a development course in rowing through Olympic Solidarity and the World Rowing Federation, FISA. Miller attended and stood out among the 15 other young people at the course. His love for sport, his dedication to train and willingness to take instruction are some of the characteristics that have led to rapid progress which may see him compete at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In Sarasota-Bradenton, Miller will compete in the men’s single.
Michael Knowles (Bahamas)
As a third-generation boat builder, Michael Knowles has always been fascinated by the sport of rowing. “After years of watching the Olympics and occasionally seeing people sculling or blowing past in the big eights, I saw a synchronized beauty and grace to it,” he says. “I was fascinated and hooked.”
Knowles became involved in competitive rowing in The Bahamas after his failed bid to qualify for the Olympics in Finn Class sailing. He went back to his home in Little Exuma and started searching for a new outlet. This began Knowles’ quest to bring competitive rowing to the Bahamas. “I by chance met Melissa Swaby who was working with the President of Bahamas Rowing, Jason Williams, to expand the sport outside of the capital,” explains Knowles. “Melissa and I then set up the first competitive club outside of New Providence.”
“I train in one of the largest national parks and marine protected areas in The Bahamas, Moriah Harbour Cay,” says Knowles. “The geography of Moriah Harbour is unique in that during the course of one training session you can face completely different conditions.”
When not rowing Knowles is a personal trainer, youth track and field coach, designer and event planner. “For me, my motivation is bigger than myself,” he says. “I’m doing this to be an inspiration to the youths of my island who may feel that they will not get the same opportunities as others just because of where they live.”
Knowles will be racing at the 2017 World Rowing Championships in the men’s single sculls.
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Olaf Tufte (Norway)
He is one of the most medalled athletes competing at this year’s World Rowing Championships. At age 41, his rowing career spans more than two decades. He began racing internationally as a junior in 1994 and competed at his first Olympic Games in 1996. The Rio 2016 Olympic Rowing Regatta was his sixth Olympic participation.
Tufte is a two-time Olympic Champion in the men’s single sculls from 2004 and 2008 and he owns Olympic silver and bronze from the double. In Sarasota-Bradenton he will compete in the men’s double sculls with his Olympic partner Kjetil Borch. They took bronze in Rio. Tufte has also amassed six World Championship medals in both the single and double.
Weronika Deresz (Poland)
She’s an under-23 World Champion in the lightweight women’s double sculls and throughout her rowing career Deresz has won several European Championship medals in this boat class. She is currently the European Champion in the lightweight double. In 2016, Deresz participated in her first Olympic Rowing Regatta and finished seventh. This season, she and partner Martyna Mikolajczak raced at three stages of the World Rowing Cup and the European Rowing Championships medaling each time.