One of Australia’s biggest teams in years departed Australia on Saturday for the commencement of the 2006 international rowing season in Europe.

The team, which features a mix of former Olympic champions and several athletes on their first senior tour, will head for Germany for the Munich World Cup event beginning on 25 May.

“The time is right in the four year cycle between Olympic Games to try different strategies and new things ahead of Beijing in 2008,” Rowing Australia’s High Performance Director, Noel Donaldson said.

“Forty-six countries will be competing in the first World Cup event in Munich so it really is a good early test and will provide a good indication of how the team is performing.

“We are using the first World Cup event in Munich and the second World Cup regatta in Poznan, Poland to help with our final decisions for crew selections for the World Rowing Championships in England in August. We are really excited about the dynamics in the squad, particularly in terms of how the newer athletes have fitted in.”

One of those newer athletes is Victorian Kim Crow who has only been rowing for 12 months. Crow was training at the Victorian Institute of Sport in athletics when serious injuries led her to change sports.

Rowing Australia has also enlisted the services of Thor Nilsen, the world’s pre-eminent expert in high performance rowing programs, to “liaise with our coaches at our training camp in Varese, Italy and give his advice about preparation and crew seating,” Donaldson said.

Following the World Cup regatta in Poland commencing June 15, the Australian team will fly back to Australia for preparation ahead of the World Rowing Championships in Eton, England from August 20 to 27.

Rowing Australia