It was a sizzling start to competition for Australia’s scullers today with the Women’s Double Sculls and Men’s and Women’s Quadruple Sculls all hitting the water at the Sea Forest Waterway.
Hot conditions in Tokyo saw the Women’s Double Sculls progress to the semi-finals and the Men’s Quadruple Sculls secure a spot in Tuesday’s final, while the Women’s Quadruple Sculls finished fourth in their heat and will now contest the repechage.
Watched by IOC Vice President, and AOC President, John Coates and Australian rowing legend James Tomkins, the Women’s Double Sculls opened Australia’s showing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
The crew of young Olympic debutants, Amanda Bateman and Tara Rigney, needed a top three finish to progress to the semi-finals and avoid contesting the repechage. The crew, coached by Ellen Randell, took on Lithuania, Germany and the Netherlands in the third and final heat of their boat class.
They were fast out the blocks, with Lithuania and Germany taking an early lead, but the Australians held their own alongside the more experienced European crews. The Dutch pulled ahead of Australia and Germany, to battle with Lithuania for first and second, leaving the Australians to fend off a late charge from Germany to ensure they snapped up third place in a time of 6 minutes 53.3 seconds.
Olympic debutant, Amanda Bateman said, “We’re pleased to have had our first race now and to have secured a spot in the semi-finals. We’ll now go away and refocus our energy to lay down another solid performance to help us progress through the competition.”
The Men’s Quadruple Scull of Rio Olympic silver medallist, Cameron Girdlestone, joined by debutants Jack Cleary, Caleb Antill and Luke Letcher, needed a top two finish to progress to the Final and avoid a repechage. The Australians took on China, Great Britain, Lithuania and The Netherlands, with the latter the reigning World Rowing Champions in the boat class.
It was the Dutch who took the early lead, leaving Australia, China and Great Britain to battle for the second-place spot that would book one of them a place in the final. The Australians pulled ahead of the pack in a bid to chase down the Dutch, and rating 42 in the final throws of the race, they took second to ensure a spot in Tuesday’s final.
Coach, Mark Prater said, “We know it’s a top field and we have to be at our absolute best. Today was about getting the nerves out the way and getting into the final which is excellent. It now means we don’t have to worry about another race before the final and can go away and prepare fully for Tuesday.”
The Women’s Quadruple Sculls qualified their boat late for these Games, by virtue of winning the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta. The debutants of Ria Thompson, Rowena Meredith, Harriet Hudson and Caitlin Cronin also required a top two finish from their heat alongside China, Poland, Italy and France.
It was a tough race for this new look Australian Women’s Quadruple Sculls taking on the 2019 World Championships gold and silver medallists, China and Poland, in the midday sun. It was the 2019 winners who took the first two spots and place in Tuesday’s final, while the Australians crossed the line in fourth and will now content Monday’s repechage in a bid to make the final.
Tomorrow will see Australia’s sweep rowers take to the water, with the Men’s and Women’s Pairs, Fours and Eights set to race.
