ROWING: Australian Men’s four win heat in first international racing of the new Olympiad - Sydney International Rowing Regatta- Day 3 Review.
 
Perfect conditions greeted the athletes today (Wednesday, 20 March 2013) for the third day of competition, as the semi-finals of the Australian Open Rowing Championships commenced at the Sydney International Rowing Regatta (SIRR). It was a successful day for the Australian London 2012 Olympians and current National team members who dominated the field.
 
The Women’s Open Single semi-finals started the day with double Olympic medallist Kim Crow (Melbourne University) winning her race in a time of 7:44.17 five seconds ahead of fellow Victorian Rebekah Hooper (Mercantile).  Hooper, who was a gold medallist in the quad scull at the 2012 Under 23 World Championships, showed a gutsy race to secure second place ahead of 2012 Olympic women’s eight gold medallist Eleanor Logan from US Rowing.  Hooper will be representing Australia in the World Rowing Cup women’s double race later in the week.  Fellow 2012 U23 World Champion Olympia Aldersey (Adelaide) secured the last qualifying spot for tomorrow’s final after finishing fourth.
 
The second semi-final saw 2012 U23 World Rowing Champions and Australian World Rowing Cup representatives in the quad scull Maddie Edmunds (Commercial) and Jess Hall (Brisbane & GPS) progress to the final after finishing second and fourth respectively.  Sarah Perkins (Corio Bay) won this semi-final in a time of 7:48.83 ahead of Chinese 2012 Olympian Bin Tang.
 
In the Men’s Open Single semi-finals Olympian Tom Swann (Mercantile) had a start to finish win in his race in a time of 7:05.33.  Swann who swapped from sweep rowing to sculling this year battled with Kieran Kobelke (Mosman) right to the finish with both rowers crossing the finish line within one second of each other.  Kieran Kobelke will be representing Australia in the Men’s Single at the World Rowing Cup, while Swann will race the men’s quad on the weekend.  Fellow quad team members 2012 Olympian Nicholas Purnell (Sydney Uni) and Olympic bronze medallist Christopher Morgan (Sydney RC) as well as Shane Jackson (Mercantile) also progressed through to the final.
 
2012 U23 World Rowing bronze medallist Sasha Belonogoff (Sydney Uni), who won his semi-final in a time of 7:07.01 as well as Korean 2012 Olympian Dongyong Kim will complete Thursday’s final of the Australian Open Rowing Championships Open men’s single.
 
The Open Men’s Coxless Four heat brought some extra excitement to today’s racing as Australia’s 2012 Olympic silver medallists in the four Josh Dunkley Smith (Mercantile), James Chapman (Sydney RC), William Lockwood (Melbourne Uni) and new crew member and 2012 Olympian from the men’s eight Joshua Booth (Melbourne Uni) took to the water.  Taking on Team USA with 2012 Olympians Michael Gennaro and Grant James plus Thomas Peszek and Thomas Dethlefs this was the first proper hit out for the Australians who seem to have recovered well from a period of a few injuries post the London 2012 Olympic Games. 

The Australians led the field from start to finish clocking a time of 6:09.91 and winning by over two seconds ahead of the Americans.  2012 London Olympians Sam Loch, Francis Hegerty, Matt Ryan and Fergus Pragnell, who are currently taking a year off from national team selection but will be racing the NSW King’s Cup eight on Saturday, finished third.  Last qualifier for Friday’s final of the Australian Open Rowing Championships Open Men’s four were Alex Lloyd (Sydney RC), Spencer Turrin (Sydney RC), Alexander Hill (Adelaide RC) and Angus Moore (Canberra).  They will be the second four to represent Australia at the weekend’s World Rowing Cup.
 
The Women’s Open Lightweight Single Scull semi-final event was another decisive event for the Australian World Rowing Cup team members racing for the national titles.  2012 World Rowing Championships team member Alice McNamara (Melbourne University) won her semi-final in a time of 7:44.69 almost eight seconds ahead of World Rowing Cup teammate Ella Flecker (Huon).  2012 World Rowing Championship team member Hanna Clark (Melbourne University) won her semi-final clocking in at 7:55.30.
 
In the Men’s Open Lightweight Single Scull semi-finals Germany’s only representative at the Sydney International Rowing Regatta, Olympian and former Lightweight World Champion Jost Schoemann-Finck (UTS) won his race in a time of 7:12.46.  Former World Champion in the men’s lightweight men’s eight Perry Ward (Swan River) won the second semi-final in a time of 7:15.01.  Also progressing to Thursday’s finals are World Rowing Cup Team members Edward De Carvalho (Sydney Uni), Sean Lake (Mercantile), Adam Kachyckyj (Commercial) and Michael Egan (Huon).
 
The rest of the day’s racing programme comprised of Under 23, Under 19 and Under 17 racing giving our Olympic champions of the future an opportunity to shine at national level.

Rowing Australia