Tara Rigney will up the ante in the Olympic Women’s Single Sculls quarter-finals as part of a plan to manage her effort through an arduous four race campaign.
Tara, a bronze medallist in the Women’s Single Sculls at the 2023 and 2022 World Championships, is considered one of the top-three medal contenders for the event.
The other major contenders are the reigning Dutch world champion Karolien Florijin and New Zealand Olympic champion Emma Twigg, who are both drawn in other quarter-finals.
Tara, who raced in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the double sculls with Amanda Bateman, won her heat in commanding fashion, with lengths to spare to second place.
With the win secured soon after halfway into the 2000m race, she then focused on her time to lock in a good lane draw.
“We have four races. Preserving energy where you can be good,” Tara said.
“I am looking to step it up again at quarters.
“I feel like every race is really an opportunity to learn. You don't have to be perfect for the heat, don't even have to be perfect for the quarters. It's just about getting better each race.”
Tara will be in one of three Australian boats to race at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, east of Paris.
The other two are the new-look Australian Double Sculls crew of Amanda Bateman and Harriet Hudson; and four of Olympia Aldersey, Lily Alton, Molly Goodman and Jean Mitchell.
Amanda and Harriet will race in the Double Sculls semi-final, needing a top three place to make the A Final.
The Four will race a repechage in which they must finish top two to qualify for the final.
The Australian team are at a critical phase of their regatta that ends on Saturday, with three days of racing now behind them.
Featuring strongly for Australia on Monday were men’s and women’s Coxed Eights that both placed second in their heats, where only first place qualified directly for Saturday’s A Final.
The Men’s Eight of Kendall Brodie (cox), Jack O’Brien, Angus Dawson, Alexander Purnell, Jack Hargreaves, Angus Widdicombe, Spencer Turrin, Josh Hicks and Ben Canham were beaten by Great Britain, who Australia held for the first 1000m until the British surged away.
In the women’s Eights heat, the Australian crew of Hayley Verbunt (cox), Paige Barr, Sarah Hawe, Giorgia Patten, Jacqueline Swick, Georgina Rowe, Bronwyn Cox, Lucy Stephan and Katrina Werry finished much closer to the British winners and were happy with the outcome.
Meanwhile, the women’s Quad Scull of Caitlin Cronin, Laura Gourley, Rowena Meredith and Ria Thompson will race in the B Final after missing out on the A Final in the repechage.
They placed third in their repechage when needing a top two finish to make the final.
In the men’s Pairs Simon Keenan and Patrick Holt saw the curtain close on their Olympics when they finished fourth in their Coxless Pairs repechage.
They needed a top three finish to make the semi-final, but that was beyond them on the day.
Competition begins with Tara Rigney at 5.30pm AEST, followed by the Double Sculls semi-final at 7pm AEST and Women’s Fours repechage at 7.30m AEST.
Rupert Guinness
