Day 2 Preview – FISA 2009 World Rowing Championships

Monday 24 August 2009

Adaptive Men’s Single Scull – Heat 1 – 9.40am (5.40pm AEST)

Ben Houlison will compete at his first world championships during a season where he has continued to improve rapidly.

Houlison gained selection in April before finishing third in the Gavirate regatta in Italy during the first week of May.

His heat holds the potential to feature all three final medallists and is highlighted by the reigning Olympic champion, Tom Aggar of Great Britain. Korea, USA, Poland and Ukraine will also row in Houlison’s heat.

The winning boat from each heat will qualify directly for the final.

Adaptive Mixed Coxed Four – Heat 1 – 10.20am (6.20pm)

This Australian crew was the last to be selected for the 2009 World Championships,getting the nod in early July.

Henry Macphillamy (NSW), Peter Siri (QLD), Carol Cooke (VIC) and Alexandra Green (NSW), coxed by Lisa Brown (VIC), have improved with every row in 2009 and will be aiming for a berth in the final in what is a very open field.

Australia has been drawn against France, USA, Russia, Poland and Italy, with the first boat heading straight to the A Final, with the remaining rowing a repechage.

Lightweight Women’s Double Scull – Heat 3 – 11.24am (7.24pm)

Alice McNamara (VIC) and Bronwen Watson (NSW) head into their first worldchampionships as the women’s double scull. The duo has won the gold in the women’s lightweight quad scull for the past two years.

McNamara and Watson have been drawn in the third heat alongside Cuba, Great Britain, USA and Portugal.

Great Britain has been the form crew in 2009 and is unbeaten to this point with Hester Goodsell and Sophie Hosking. The United States crew of Kristin Hedstrom and Michelle Trannel are also a crew to watch.

The first two boats from each heat will progress to the semi-finals, with the remaining to row repechages.

Lightweight Men’s Four – Heat 2 – 12.00pm (8pm)

The lightweight men’s four has suffered a disrupted campaign with Chris Bigg (VIC) withdrawing only two weeks ago after injuring his back during the pre –departure camp in Penrith.

His place was taken in the crew by young Victorian Tom Bertrand, who joins Angus Tyers (VIC), Ross Brown (WA) and Darryn Purcell (QLD).

Australia will race in the second heat with Spain, the Czech Republic, China and Great Britain. The Czech Republic won bronze in the final world cup this year and will be a crew to watch throughout the regatta, while Great Britain can never be discounted.

A top two place would earn the Australian crew a semi-final berth.

Men’s Quadruple Scull – Heat 2 – 12.36pm (8.36pm)

The men’s quad scull of Dan Noonan (NSW), David Crawshay (VIC), Nick Hudson(NSW) and Jared Bidwell (QLD) has been drawn in Heat 2 alongside Olympic champions Poland.

The Australian crew will be eager to test their form against the Olympic champions early in the regatta, but must also be wary of Slovenia, who won two bronze medals during the world cup season.

Also drawn in the Australian heat are Estonia and France, with the top three crews earning qualification for the semi-finals.

Men’s Eight – Heat 1 – 1pm (9pm)

The Australian men’s eight, while lacking the experience of some of their rivals, have shown great potential during the build up to the world championships.

Coxed by Toby Lister (NSW), the crew features Richard Allsop (NSW), Fergus Pragnell (NSW), Sam Loch (NSW), Bryn Coudraye (SA), Tom Swann (VIC), Mitch Estens (NSW), Josh Dunkley-Smith (VIC) and Tom Larkins (VIC). Loch is the only remaining member of the Beijing men’s eight crew, while Pragnell is the only other to experience a senior world championships.

The Australian crew will race against Germany, USA, Ukraine and Great Britain in their heat with the top two to progress straight to the final.

The German eight won world cups 2 and 3 this year as they eye success in London in 2012. They will be favoured heading into the heat, while the USA and Great Britain are always crews to watch.

For more information please call David Polglase on 0401 453 041

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