10 boats qualified for Tokyo 2020 by Aussie rowers

At the conclusion of the 2019 World Rowing Championships, Australia has qualified eight boats for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and two boats for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Amanda Bateman and Genevieve Horton (NSWIS) ensured Australia had a boat berth for the Women’s Double Scull at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games after the duo finished in fifth place in an incredibly tight B-Final in Linz-Ottensheim, with first and fifth place split by a mere 1.03 seconds.

Australia’s Women’s Eight came out firing in their A-Final, with the crew, coxed by James Rook, flying out of the start and taking an early lead at the 500 metre mark, ahead of race favourites New Zealand and the USA. The Australians of Molly Goodman, Jessica Morrison, Annabelle McIntyre, Rosemary Popa, Georgie Rowe (NSWIS), Bronwyn Cox, Jacinta Edmunds, Leah Saunders (NSWIS) and coxswain James Rook, were in the lead still at the 1500 metre mark, before New Zealand made their move and edged ahead of the Australians. As the crews sprinted for the line, New Zealand took the lead, with Australia in hot pursuit, but it was New Zealand who took the title, with Australia in second and USA in third.

Erik Horrie (NSWIS) was aiming for his sixth consecutive World Rowing Championships title in the PR1 Men’s Single Scull, but it wasn’t to be the Australian’s day, with the single sculler taking home a bronze medal, while Ukraine took gold and Russia silver. Horrie sat back in second for the majority of the race, before slipping back into third, however the Australian held off a challenge from Great Britain in the final metres of the race to take bronze.

The Men’s Eight were just 0.53 of a second off taking a bronze medal in their A-Final. The Australians were in second at the 500 metre mark and despite slipping back to fifth at the halfway mark, they nudged into third at the 1500 metre point. In a sprint to the line with Great Britain and USA, the Australians just missed out on the podium, with Germany taking gold, Netherlands silver and Great Britain bronze.

In the PR3 Mixed Coxed Four Australia’s crew of Renae Domaschenz, Alexandra Viney, Alex Vuillermin, Ben Gibson and James Talbot were fourth at the halfway mark of their race, making a late push on Italy, but the crew just missed out on a podium placing.

Australia’s Men’s Four’s A-Final was not a reflection of how the crew has performed throughout these World Rowing Championships, with the crew finishing up in sixth place after struggling to catch up with Poland who came out quickest at the start. Despite a valiant sprint from Alexander Hill, Jack Hargreaves (NSWIS), Nicholas Purnell (NSWIS) and Jack O’Brien (NSWIS), the Australians were unable to make up the lost ground from a slow start.

In the Men’s Quadruple Scull of David Watts, Cameron Girdlestone (NSWIS), Campbell Watts (NSWIS) and Hamish Playfair (NSWIS) took on the reigning World Champions, Italy, as well as an inform Netherlands. It was the Dutch who came out fastest to take gold, and while Poland and Italy battled it out for silver and bronze – the Australians pushed on the leading pack. However, the Australians ran out of room, with the Dutch taking the win, followed by Poland and Italy.

Annabelle McIntyre and Jessica Morrison claimed silver in the Women’s Pair after a sprint to the line with their Trans-Tasman rivals, New Zealand, while Joshua Hicks (NSWIS) and Sam Hardy (NSWIS) took home a bronze medal in the Men’s Pair. Both boat berths are qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Australia’s Women’s Four wrapped up a fantastic 2019 World Rowing Championships winning gold. The crew of Lucy Stephan, Sarah Hawe, Katrina Werry and Olympia Aldersey went undefeated throughout the regatta to claim the top honours. By virtue of making the A-Final the Australians also qualified the boat berth for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Subject to selections in 2020, Australia may look to qualify further Olympic class boats, at the final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland and further Paralympic boats at the Final Paralympic Qualification Regatta in Gavirate, Italy – both events are held in May 2020.

Australian Boats qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games