Following three days of heats and elimination racing, the finals of the 2022 Australian rowing championships on the Nagambie Lakes course commenced yesterday.
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The seven-day regatta has moved into the final phase, which will conclude with action-packed school, club, para and interstate rowing on Saturday and Sunday.
Conditions were challenging yesterday, with a southerly crosswind causing the race officials to seed the eight lanes with the fastest qualifiers rowing in the southern lanes, one to four.
The championships were moved at short notice from Penrith, NSW, to Nagambie owing to impacts on the flood-affected Olympic course. Rowing officials had high praise for the Strathbogie Council and the wider Nagambie community for how they had rallied to deliver the titles. There is not an available bed in Shepparton and surrounds and rowers are travelling daily from Wallan, Euroa, Benalla, Heathcote and Kyabram.
Australia’s recent Tokyo Olympians were in full flight yesterday. Jack Hargreaves won his Olympic gold medal in the coxless four, being a sweep-oared boat. But he has transitioned into the single scull, which is rare in rowing. He kept his Olympic form, winning the open men’s single scull over 2000 metres from Caleb Antill of the Australian National University Club and David Bartholot from Sydney University, who took the bronze.
The open women’s single scull was won by Rowena Meredith of Sydney University. She defeated Tokyo gold medallist Annabel McIntyre from Fremantle, with the bronze medal won by the popular Tasmania sculler, now rowing for Sydney, Sarah Hawe.
Georgina Nesbit from the Huon Club in Tasmania showed she is likely to gain Australian selection this year with a strong win in the open women’s lightweight single scull.
The prestigious Sarah Tait Memorial Trophy for the women’s coxless pair saw a popular win for the Melbourne University/Mercantile crew of Katrina Werry and Lucy Stephan.
Countless school crews hit the water yesterday afternoon for elimination racing in sculls, quads, fours and eights.
Saturday sees a full day of racing in preparation for the traditional school, para-rowing and interstate events on Sunday.
The Governor-General David Hurley and Lady Linda Hurley will attend on Sunday to present the trophies for the King’s and Queen’s Cups.
Victoria beat New South Wales in the King’s Cup at Lake Barrington, Tasmania, last year by just 30cm while Victoria loosened the recent grip by NSW on the Queen’s Cup for interstate women’s eights. It is the 101st contest for the premier women’s interstate race.
The last two days of racing will be watched by Vincent Gaillard of Switzerland, the executive director of World Rowing, who is making his first visit to Australia after being appointed in January this year.
Tickets for the events on Saturday and Sunday are available on the Rowing Australia website. Bring your own chair.
– David Schier
Women’s open scull: Annabel McIntyre, Rowena Meredith and Sarah Hawe.
Podium: Caleb Antill, Jack Hargreaves and David Bartholot.
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