The Australian Rowing Team enjoyed another successful day at the 2011 Henley Royal Regatta, as three-time Olympic gold medallist Drew Ginn marked his international return with a victory.

Ginn combined with men’s four crew mates Joshua Dunkley Smith, Nicholas Purnell and Sam Loch to defeat the Swiss crew by a length in the quarter final of The Stewards’ Challenge Cup and set up a semi-final clash against the United States.

Provided the men’s four negotiate the United States in the next round, they seem set to clash with Great Britain in the final on Sunday, which will be an early taste of a rivalry that can be expected in the lead up to the 2012 London Olympic Games. The two countries have shared the last five Olympic gold medals in this boat class.

Australia’s men’s quad scull of Daniel Noonan (NSW), Karsten Forsterling (VIC), James McRae (SA) and Chris Morgan (SA) also showed they mean business with an impressive win over 2008 Olympic champions Poland in the Queen Mother Challenge Cup.

The three quarter of a boat length victory progressed the Noonan stroked crew to the semi-final this evening, where they will face current world champions, Croatia.

Both Australian women quad sculls began their campaigns with excellent victories, sweeping aside their opposition in the quarter-finals.

Amy Clay (NSW), Brooke Pratley (NSW), Sarah Cook (ACT) and Sally Kehoe (QLD) won by a comfortable margin, while the composite quad scull crew of Alice McNamara (VIC), Kim Crow (VIC), Kerry Hore (TAS) and Hannah Every-Hall (QLD) also winning with ease. Both Australian crews now face the United States in the semi-finals.

Will Lockwood (VIC) and Brodie Buckland (NSW) won the clash of the Australian men’s pair crews, defeating lightweight combination Ali Foot (TAS) and Rod Chisholm (NSW) in the Silver Goblets and Nickalls’ Challenge Cup.

Olympic champions David Crawshay (VIC) and Scott Brennan (TAS) marked their return to the international scene with a win in the men’s double scull, and they were joined in the semi-finals by James Chapman (NSW) and Jared Bidwell (QLD).

Chapman also progressed to the semi-final of the men’s single scull, along with compatriot Nicholas Hudson (NSW).

Rowing Australia National High Performance Director Andrew Matheson said the whole team had made a confident start to the tour.

“There have obviously been some pretty promising results already but we will keep our feet on the ground and look forward to the next stage of racing this evening,” Matheson said. “It was good for the majority of our crews to make it to the semi-finals and I expect some even tougher racing this evening.”

Australia’s semi-final action commences this evening with an all Australian semi-final between Australia’s two men’s double sculls at 8pm (AEST).

Rowing Australia