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Friday 8 April
RA media release:
O'Brien handed reins to men's four
Dual Olympic gold medal winning coach Chris O’Brien has been announced as the men’s coxless four coach for the Australian Rowing Team for the 2011 season.
The 2011 season looms as an important stepping stone for Australia’s rowers as they aim to qualify boats for next year’s Olympic Games at the 2011 World Rowing Championships in Bled, Slovenia (August 28–September 4).
O’Brien’s appointment comes just a week out from the 2011 National Selection Trials (April 15–24) at the Sydney International Regatta Centre in Penrith, which will be used to select Australia’s squad for the 2011 season.
O’Brien, who masterminded Australia’s gold medal in the men’s pair at both the 2004 Athens Olympic Games (Drew Ginn and James Tomkins) and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games (Drew Ginn and Duncan Free), has been given the reins to the men’s coxless four, the boat which has been given priority by Australia’s selectors.
Assuming that the men’s four achieves its goals in 2011, O’Brien will more than likely be given the chance to steer his third successive crew to an Olympic gold medal next year in London.
The promotion of the men’s four to priority status underlines the current strength of the men’s sweep program, especially considering a world class men’s eight will also be sent to the world championships.
Australia’s stocks in the men’s sweep group (men’s pair, men’s four, men’s eight) have been strengthened by the return of triple Olympic gold medallist Drew Ginn and his gold medal winning partner from Beijing, Duncan Free, with both men eyeing a place in the men’s coxless four.
All four members of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games men’s coxless four that won silver (Francis Hegerty, Cameron McKenzie-McHarg, James Marburg and Matt Ryan) remain in contention for selection in the men’s sweep group, as well as their crew mates from the 2010 men’s eight (Joshua Dunkley Smith, Nicholas Purnell, Sam Loch and Will Lockwood) which won bronze at the world championships in New Zealand.
Rowing Australia National High Performance Director Andrew Matheson said there was good competition for places in the men’s sweep crews.
“We are in a good position in the men’s sweep program and will be able to field two very competitive crews in the men’s four and men’s eight,” Matheson said. “The mixture of youth and experience in the whole squad we have at selection trials is very promising.
“Across the board we have a great group of coaches who now have the task of preparing the crews for the world championships and eventually the Olympic Games next year.”
AIS head men’s coach Noel Donaldson will continue to mentor the men’s eight crew, while AIS head women’s coach Lyall McCarthy will take charge of the women’s double scull.
AIS senior coach Rhett Ayliffe, who coached David Crawshay and Scott Brennan to gold in the men’s double scull in Beijing, will again take charge of that boat class.
Coaches for the 2011 Australian Rowing Team
n.b All boats are Olympic class unless stated
Men’s Coxless Pair – Tim Conrad
Men’s Coxless Four – Chris O’Brien
Men’s Coxed Eight – Noel Donaldson
Men’s Double Scull – Rhett Ayliffe
Men’s Quad Scull – John Dreissen
Men’s Lightweight Coxless Four – Brett Crow
Men’s Lightweight Coxless Pair (Non-Olympic) – Brett Crow
Men’s Lightweight Eight (Non-Olympic) – Curtis Jordan and Lincoln Handley
Women’s Coxless Pair – Bill Tait
Women’s Double Scull – Lyall McCarthy
Women’s Quad Scull – Jason Lane
Women’s Lightweight Double Scull – Laryssa Beisenthal
Women’s Lightweight Quad Scull (Non-Olympic) – Ellen Randell

Media contact David Polglase 0401 453 041