Rowers reaching new heights

Australia has won 10 medals at the 2011 FISA World Rowing Championships in Slovenia, qualifying 10 boats for the 2012 Olympic Games and two boats for the 2012 Paralympic Games in the process.

Leading Australia’s charge were NSWIS athletes Dan Noonan and Rod Chisholm who claimed gold in Australia’s record breaking performance.

Noonan triumphed as part of the Australian men’s quad scull crew in one of the regatta’s most exciting finishes, as the Australian team capitalised on a German mistake to take gold by 0.25 seconds. The gold is Noonan’s third medal in three years, complementing a bronze and silver from previous world championships.

The men’s lightweight eight race, featuring NSWIS athlete Chisholm, saw an even closer finish. The Australian crew trailed for the majority of the race before kicking in over the final few metres; it was enough to move past Italy into gold by only 0.16 seconds and record Australia’s first gold medal in the event since 1997.

James Chapman was the lone NSWIS silver medallist, taking home a medal as part of the men’s coxed pair. Chapman joined Victorians Will Lockwood and David Webster in claiming silver after being narrowly edged out by Italy, while fellow NSWIS athletes Nicholas Purnell and Sam Loch won bronze in the men’s four.

2008 Paralympian and NSWIS athlete John Maclean looks set for a return to the Paralympic Games after winning bronze and qualifying a boat for London with compatriot Kathryn Ross in the trunk and arms mixed double scull. The Australian duo powered past Ukraine in the final 100m to clock a time of 4:05.13 and take bronze.

The championships finished as a successful venture for the Australian team, 16 of 18 boats reached ‘A’ finals in Slovenia, with Australia eventually finishing third in Olympic class boats behind Great Britain and New Zealand. Australia’s 10 medals at the championships led to a second place finish on the medal tally, four behind Great Britain’s 14.