Team Toowoomba set sights on World Championships

Thursday 25 June 2009

Toowoomba rowers Sally Kehoe and Pippa Savage have today been confirmed as the women’s double scull for the 2009 World Rowing Championships. Kehoe suffered a rib injury shortly before the selection trials in April, which delayed the selectors’ decision in naming a crew.

But following a solid five week training block and an impressive performance at a trial regatta last weekend, the Rowing Australia Board this morning ratified their selection.

Kehoe and Savage both made their Olympic debuts in Beijing last year, with Kehoe part of the women’s eight and Savage rowing the women’s single scull.

But with Kehoe switching back to scull rowing, and the selectors placing priority on the women’s double scull, the two will come together to form a formidable crew.

Kehoe was crowned junior world champion in the women’s double scull in 2003, before claiming the junior single scull crown one year later. In her senior world championships debut in 2005, she won a bronze medal in the women’s double scull, before a silver medal in the women’s quad scull in 2006.

Savage meanwhile will compete for Australia for the first time in a crew boat, after making her international debut last year in the women’s single scull.

Savage qualified the boat for the Olympics at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in June last year, and made the B Final in Beijing, an excellent achievement for her first international season.

Savage says she is looking forward to combining with Kehoe.

“It is really ironic to think that we both went to the same primary school, Toowoomba Prep., and now 15 or so years later we will race at the World Championships together,” Savage said.

“I was about five years ahead of Sally but vaguely remember her from school. It is great that we have both come so far in our rowing, especially considering rowing is not a sport offered in Toowoomba!”

Despite not competing in any of the world cups this season, the pair has been keeping a close eye on competition.

“We have had a bit of a look at the results in the first two world cups, but have mainly been focusing on our own training,” Savage continued. “There are some really strong double crews out there this year.

“Great Britain, Poland, Romania and Germany will be the crews to beat, but we hope to give them a pretty good run.”

Savage and Kehoe will continue to train in Brisbane for the next two weeks before heading to Sydney in the second week of July and remaining there until they depart for the World Championships.

The World Championships will be held in Poznan, Poland from August 23-30.

For more information please call David Polglase on 0401 453 041

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