ROWING: The Australian Rowing Team will be represented in 13 boat classes at this weekend’s World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne, Switzerland. The event that runs from 10 to 12 July on the Rotsee sees 45 countries competing across 14 events in World Rowing’s final Senior World Cup event before the 2015 World Rowing Championships.

Australia will be looking to build on its medal haul from World Rowing Cup II in Varese, Italy that saw three medals won in the Olympic boat classes. Kim Crow took gold in the Women’s Single Scull, Alexander Belonogoff and James McRae claimed silver in the Men’s Double Scull while the young Men’s Pair of Nick Wheatley and Jack Hargreaves snapped up a bronze.

The Men’s Pair event sees a substantial increase in entries from Varese, including the return of current World and Olympic Champions Eric Murray and Hamish Bond from New Zealand. Hargreaves and Wheatley are excited for the challenge that lies ahead of them in Lucerne and beyond.

“We’re looking ahead to building on the positive start we had to our international season. Walking away with a bronze medal in the Men’s Pair in Varese was great, however we’ve a lot of competition ahead of us with this upcoming World Cup, along with the U23 World Championships and the Senior A World Championships.

“The Men’s Pair event in Lucerne is going to make for some interesting racing with 23 entries, including the current World Champions from New Zealand. Both Jack and I are looking forward to the experience and continuing our pathway of development, hopefully we can build on the success from Italy,” said the 22-year-old Wheatley.

Post-Lucerne, the young pair will travel back to the Australian Institute of Sport European Training Centre in Varese, Italy before joining the U23 Australian Rowing Team in Plovdiv, Bulgaria for the U23 World Rowing Championships from 22 to 26 July.

Making their first appearance on the World Cup stage this season will be the Australian Men’s Eight who recently competed at Henley Royal Regatta. The crew is coxed by David Webster and includes Fergus Pragnell, Joshua Dunkley-Smith, Nicholas Purnell, Scott Laidler, James Chapman, Sam Hookway, Joshua Booth and Matthew Ryan.

The event will also see the first appearance of the Lightweight Women’s Double of Alice McNamara and Ella Flecker. The duo, who are coached by Mark Fangen-Hall, were unable to race in Varese due to illness but are back fighting fit for the final World Rowing Cup of 2015.

National Performance Director Chris O’Brien said: “World Rowing Cup III provides a good racing opportunity for all the Olympic class boats to race prior to the 2015 World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette, France which is of course the Olympic Qualification regatta.

“We’re optimistic that the crews will do well in the conditions in Lucerne and post the event we will do a review of all crews ahead of the World Rowing Championships.”

World Rowing’s website, www.worldrowing.com will be providing audio coverage for the first two days of the event, while on finals day (Sunday 12 July) they will provide a live stream on their website.

Australian broadcaster, Fox Sports Australia, will be showing Sunday’s finals live on Fox Sports 3 from 6:10pm to 8:25pm AEST after which there will be a break for an hour before the live coverage resumes from 9:25pm to 11:30pm AEST.

Social media – the event hashtag is #WRCLucerne

The Australian Rowing Team for World Rowing Cup III, Lucerne, Switzerland

Men’s Lightweight Coxless Four
Darryn Purcell (Toowong RC/QLD-TIS)
Nicholas Silcox (Toowing RC/QLD-TIS)
Perry Ward (Swan River/WA-WAIS)
Timothy McDonnell (Toowong RC/QLD)
Coach – Brett Crow (TIS)

Men’s Coxless Four
William Lockwood (Melbourne University BC/VIC – NTC Canberra)
Alexander Lloyd (Sydney RC/NSW – NTC Canberra)
Spencer Turrin (Sydney RC/NSW – NTC Canberra)
Alexander Hill (Adelaide RC/SA – NTC Canberra)
Coach – Simon Cox (NTC-Canberra)

Men’s Coxless Pair
Jack Hargreaves (Sydney University BC/NSW – NTC Canberra)
Nicholas Wheatley (Sydney University BC/NSW – NTC Canberra)
Coach – Mark Prater (Sydney University BC)

Men’s Coxed Eight
Fergus Pragnell (Sydney University BC/NSW – VIS)
Joshua Dunkley-Smith (Mercantile BC/VIC – VIS)
Nicholas Purnell (Sydney University BC/NSW – NSWIS)
Scott Laidler (Dutton Park RC/QLD – NTC Canberra)
James Chapman (Sydney University BC/NSW – NSWIS)
Sam Hookway (Melbourne University BC/VIC)
Joshua Booth (Melbourne University BC/VIC – VIS)
Matthew Ryan (Sydney University BC/NSW – VIS)
Coxswain – David Webster (Melbourne University BC/VIC – VIS)
Coach – Tim McLaren (UTS RC)

Men’s Single Scull
Max McQueeney (Buckingham RC/ TAS – NTC Canberra)
Coach – John Driessen (Huon RC)

Men’s Double Scull
Alexander Belonogoff (Sydney University BC/NSW – NTC – Canberra)
James McRae (Murray Bridge/SA – SASI)
Coach – Rhett Ayliffe (WAIS)

Men’s Quadruple Scull
David Crawshay (Mercantile RC/VIC – VIS)
Cameron Girdlestone (Sydney University BC/NSW – NSWIS)
Karsten Forsterling (Melbourne University BC/VIC – VIS)
David Watts (Swan River/WA – NTC-Canberra)
Coach – John Driessen (Huon RC)

Women’s Single Scull 1
Kimberley Crow (Melbourne University BC/VIC – NTC Canberra)
Coach – Lyall McCarthy (NTC Canberra)

Women’s Single Scull 2
Fiona Albert (Mercantile RC/QLD – VIS)
Coach – Tom Westgarth (QAS)

Women’s Double Scull
Olympia Aldersey (Adelaide RC/SA – SASI)
Sally Kehoe (Sydney University WBC/QLD – SASI)
Coach – Jason Lane (SASI)

Lightweight Women’s Double Scull
Alice McNamara (Melbourne University BC, VIC – VIS)
Ella Flecker (Huon RC, TAS – NTC Canberra)
Coach – Mark Fangen-Hall (NTC Canberra)

Women’s Quadruple Scull
Jessica Hall (Brisbane and GPS RC/QLD – QAS)
Jennifer Cleary (Mercantile RC/VIC – VIS)
Kerry Hore (Huon RC/TAS – TIS)
Madeleine Edmunds (Commercial RC/QLD – QAS)
Coach – Tom Westgarth (QAS)

Women’s Coxless Pair
Molly Goodman (Adelaide RC/SA – NTC Canberra)
Genevieve Horton (Mosman RC/NSW – NSWIS)
Coach – Bill Tait (VIS)

Women’s Coxed Eight
Lucy Stephan (Melbourne University BC/VIC – NTC Canberra)
Hannah Vermeersch (Western Australia RC/WA – WAIS)
Renee Chatterton (Adelaide University RC/SA – SASI)
Rosemary Popa (Banks RC/VIC)
Meaghan Volker (Buckingham RC/TAS)
Katrina Bateman (Mercantile RC/VIC – VIS)
Alexandra Hagan (Swan River RC/WA – WAIS)
Charlotte Sutherland (Mercantile RC/VIC – NTC Canberra)
Coxswain – Sarah Banting (Mercantile RC/VIC)
Coach – Andrew Randell (ACTAS/NTC Canberra)

Rowing Australia