olympic gold medalist for australian eight
Australia confirmed they will boat a full strength crew for the inaugural Trans Tasman Challenge against the New Zealand men's eight on the Waikato River in the Gallagher Great Race event on Saturday, September 10.
It will be the first time a New Zealand eight has raced at home since the 1978 world rowing championships were held at Lake Karapiro. It will also be the first time the two crews have faced off on the Waikato River.
The Australian eight will be made up from crews competing at this year's world rowing championships held in Gifu, Japan. Athens Olympic gold medalist, Drew Ginn will be joined by members of the coxless four and coxed pair. Australia's traveling reserve to Japan, Nick Baxter is the eighth member of the crew and coxswain, Marc Douez, who steers Australia's coxed pair, will take the all important steering seat in the skiff.
Australia's Director of Rowing, Noel Donaldson said they were looking forward to extending the international experience for their athletes this year, "The Gallagher Great Race will provide this competitive experience," said Donaldson. "And after the Bledislow Cup failure we'll have to square the ledger."
Donaldson noted that their crew will suffer a similar lack of training together as the New Zealand crew, "Long distance river racing is not unfamiliar to our individual athletes but combining in a relatively short time will make the competition even more intriguing."
Event spokesman, Rob Hamill said that 30 year old Olympic gold medalist Drew Ginn could make the difference in a close race, "Ginn adds a high octane component to the Australian's who have an experienced look about them but New Zealand should have the horse power to match them."
"The way the individual rowers combine is the crucial element," said Hamill. "Neither crew will have rowed together as an eight for more than a week. How well they gel in the short time frame is going to be interesting."
The Trans Tasman Challenge will be rowed on a new down stream course this year promising a fast race. The teams will start upstream of Hamilton Gardens and end between Victoria and Claudelands bridges.
The other two international races - The Great Race and the Women's Trans Tasman race - will both compete on the same up stream course of the previous three years.
The first of the three international races will start at 12.30pm.
Australian Men's Crew
- CONRAD, SAM
- CUBASCH, HARDY
- STEVENSON, JAMES
- CGATTI, JAMES
- CHAPMAN, JAMES
- RYAN, MATT
- BAXTER, NICK
- GINN, DREW
- DOUEZ, MARC
- RICHARDSON, BRIAN - coach