Η ΝΕΑ ΖΗΛΑΝΔΙΑ ΘΑ ΕΙΝΑΙ Η ΠΡΩΤΗ ΠΟΥ ΘΑ ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΣΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΕΘΝΙΚΗ ΟΜΑΔΑ ΓΙΑ ΤΟ 2009

Ο Waddell αφού την έφαγε δεύτερη φορά στα αυτιά δήλωσε ότι δεν θα συμμετάσχει σε ομαδικό πλήρωμα κωπηλασίας, μάλλον θα προτιμήσει ιστιοπλοϊας

NZL first to announce 2009 rowing squad

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06/03/2009

As the summer season in New Zealand comes to an end, rowers have completed trials that sees the naming of eleven boats to the 2009 rowing squad that will compete at this year’s World Rowing Championships.

The squad is a mixture of rising talent and familiar faces. Returning to the team are Eric Murray and Hamish Bond in the men’s pair. Murray and Bond raced at the Beijing Olympics in the four but have been spending this summer season in the pair, clocking some fast times. Fellow Olympian, Emma Twigg easily retained her spot in the women’s single while Mahe Drysdale had to ward off 2000 Olympic gold medallist, Rob Waddell to be selected for the men’s single.

Drysdale and Waddell raced each other at the end of last month at the New Zealand National Championships with Drysdale winning by a comfortable five seconds. Going into national team trials Drysdale and Waddell were not told by the selectors their trial format. They were called to race head to head last Monday with Drysdale winning by about a boat length. Selectors decided they had seen enough, giving Drysdale the nod for the single spot.

Waddell chose not to trial for a team boat.

The men’s double returns to the pre-Olympics boat of Matthew Trott and Nathan Cohen. Trott lost his spot in the double last year before the Olympics when Waddell was chosen for the boat. The Olympic lightweight men’s double has remained the same with Storm Uru and Peter Taylor again paired up. Reigning World Champion in the lightweight single, Duncan Grant returns to defend his title. A lightweight men’s four has been added along with the women’s quad.

Following the retirement of women’s double Olympic Champions, Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell, a new double has been named of Paula Twining and Anna Reymer. There is also a women’s pair (Rebecca Scown and Emma Feathery). All four of these rowers were in the 2008 women’s eight. A women’s quad of Harriet Austin, Sarah Barnes, Louise Trappitt and Genevieve Armstrong joins the elite squad.

New Zealand has also selected the first adaptive athlete. Robin Tinga will race in the Arms Only Men’s Single Sculls (AM1x).

Australia is likely to be the next country to name their 2009 rowing squad. The Australians are currently racing at their national championships in Tasmania and this will be followed by national team trials.