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Boat Hire at SPR: Applications should be submitted on this form as soon as possible after the FINAL draw for the event is published, and no later than 8pm on Wednesday.
Jo Ramsay: Please note that the Scottish Rowing Administrator, Jo Ramsay, will be on holiday from the 12th to 16th of April. If there is anything urgent, please contact one of the Board Members.
Grainger Leads Scotland’s Rowers Into Battle: Report follows from Lee Boucher:
Olympic silver medallist Katherine Grainger is the veteran amongst the record field of 10 Scottish rowers, going to the start line this weekend at the GB Rowing Team Senior Trials in Belgium. The Glasgow born star, seeking a ninth career title, heads up a strong, but inexperienced Scottish contingent who are all making their debuts in Belgium, hoping to cement a place in Team GB as the race for London 2012 hots up. The event helps determine World Cup and World Championship squad pecking order with athletes receiving invites to this ‘closed’ event, following a series of winter assessments, ‘on’ and ‘off’ the water.
Grainger will be racing in the single scull, a boat she enjoyed success in during the 2009 season, culminating in a surprise silver medal at the World Championships in Poznan. She will face fellow Olympic medallists, Debbie Flood and Annabel Vernon amongst others. With so many World and Olympic medallists in the women’s group, the Trials are always tough. It’s only after they are out of the way that you can start to think about the season ahead,” said Grainger. Scotland is well represented in the competitive lightweight division, with four home-based athletes making the long trip across the water. Glasgow Rowing Club duo, students Sam Scrimgeour ( Strathclyde University) and Iain Docwra (Heriot-Watt University) will get a chance to challenge Olympic gold medallist, Zac Purchase, in the men’s lightweight single scull category.
The women’s lightweight division sees Strathclyde Park Rowing Club’s Kelly Limond hoping to maintain her early season boat speed, which saw her top the division at the first trial in October, following this up with an equally impressive second placing at the last set of trials, at Dorney Lake in February. The Glasgow physical education teacher is joined in this division by Imogen Walsh of Clyde Amateur Rowing Club. The Inverness born athlete has made steady progress during her first season trialling for Great Britain teams.
The trials at the Bloso Centre in Hazewinkel represent a big opportunity for Karen Bennett, a product of UK Sport’s 2007 talent search initiative, Sporting Giants. Bennett, of Balerno in Edinburgh, representing Clydesdale Amateur Rowing Club, is only in her third full season in the sport but is looking forward to the challenge of coming face-to-face with the UK’s leading oarswomen. The 21 year old, who teams up with Wales’ Imogen Evans in the women’s coxless pairs event, cannot believe how far she has come in such a short space of time.
Bennett said, “Three years ago I was told that I had the potential to row for Great Britain, but you never really think it is possible, such is the standard of the British team. Now that I am here, I have to pinch myself a little, but once we are all out on the water, that is put to one side and I will be concentrating on giving my all and showing what I am capable of.”
Also competing in the women’s pair is Edinburgh University medical student, Polly Swann. Like Bennett, Scrimgeour and Docwra, ex George Heriot’s School pupil Swann is eligible for Under 23 teams this season and although she is being assessed against the top senior athletes in the country, one eye will be on her performances relative to other Under 23 eligible athletes as she seeks a place in the British team heading to the World Under 23 Championships in Belarus in July. In the men’s coxless pairs, former George Watson’s School pupils, Andy Holmes (Molesey Boat Club) and Jonathan Rankin (Imperial College), along with Alan Sinclair (Leander Club) of the Black Isle, near Inverness, compete in a strong field which includes current world champions, Olympic champions and three members of this year’s winning Boat Race crew from Cambridge University.
Scottish Rowing President, Mike Morrice, is encouraged by the performances of home grown talent this season. Said Morrice, “Katherine (Grainger) has been an outstanding role model for youngsters looking to break through, so it is extremely encouraging to see Scotland represented in such strong numbers this year in Belgium, across all disciplines. “Whilst the hunger and desire of Scottish athletes has always been there, opportunity to progress to the very top of the sport has been limited to those willing and able to move South of the border. The very fact that there are 6 Scottish based athletes involved at this late stage of the process shows the progress that has been made in moving performance rowing forwards, providing athletes with high quality, local opportunities. "With partners, including the sportscotland institute of sport, we are confident that Scotland can continue to supply athletes to Great Britain’s most successful Olympic sport.”
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And then there were the crews themselves which had to make unplanned substitutions as crew members failed to make it back in time for
racing. Umpires had to be flexible in their shifts as it transpired that there were fewer available due to a number being stuck on their
Easter holidays! On the plus side for us was that head of commentary, Carol Wallace, did not make it away for her business trip and we were blessed with her entertaining words over the weekend.
