22 athletes were named today as part of a squad of young New Zealand rowers to take part in the 2015 World Rowing Junior Championships being held in Rio de Janiero, Brazil from 6 to 9 August. The junior rowing regatta will also serve as a test event for the 2016 Olympic Games organisers.
These junior athletes have been selected to represent New Zealand at the World Rowing Junior Championships after a week-long trial that included 2km erg testing and seat trials at Lake Karapiro. Rowing New Zealand will send a men's single scull, women's quadruple scull, women's coxless four, men's coxed four, men's quadruple scull and travelling reserve crews to compete in the women's double scull, men's double scull, women's pair and men's pair, three coaches and a team manager to Brazil. The juniors selected to represent New Zealand will gain a unique experience competing in an environment similar to the elite World Cup and World Rowing Championship regattas.
Junior representation is considered an important part of the Rowing New Zealand high performance pathway. Many of New Zealand's top New Zealand rowers began their rowing careers at the junior level and have gone on to be successful elite athletes competing at the World Rowing Championships and Olympic Games. A number of 2015 elite team representatives including Alex Bardoul (men's four), Emma Dyke (women's eight) and Zoe McBride (women's lightweight single scull) were in the New Zealand junior team just two years ago. All three of these athletes competed at the under-23 level in 2014 and will make the step up to the senior level this year, these examples showcase the pathway progression for New Zealand rowers.
Alan Cotter, Rowing New Zealand High Performance Director believes a strong junior team has been selected for 2015 "These athletes have the ability and with some good training behind them they will be competitive. We certainly have high expectations of all crews we select to represent our country, and we would like to see all of our junior crews make the A final, and go on to win medals."
Cotter said the junior rowers will have an amazing experience in Rio "It's exciting for our junior competitors to test out the facilities which will be used by athletes during the 2016 Olympics. We hope that provides them a bit of extra inspiration to succeed on the world stage."
Cotter has been impressed with Rio's Olympic preparations for the rowing so far "The test event provides a great opportunity to see first-hand how rowing operates in the Rio environment. We believe the junior event will run smoothly and it will provide assurance that there will be no surprises for our elite team when they head over to the Olympic Games next year."
"With just over one year to go, our New Zealand rowers, coaches, support staff and spectators alike can look forward to an exciting and positive Olympic Games in Rio. The junior championships provide a perfect test run scenario for rowing in preparation for the Olympic Games." Cotter said.
The junior team will commence training at Lake Karapiro at the Rowing New Zealand High Performance Centre for six weeks from 7 June. This requires many of the athletes to relocate for to Cambridge. As the juniors prepare and train for the Championship regatta they will continue their secondary school studies at St Peter's School in Cambridge and will be accommodated at the Rob Waddell Lodge at Lake Karapiro.
The young New Zealand rowers will compete against hundreds of top junior athletes from around the world at the Championships. To be a junior rower the athletes must be under 18 years of age to compete. Juniors can compete in the following boat classes at the world championships: Men - single scull, double scull, coxless pair, quadruple scull, coxed four, coxless four and eights, and the junior women in the single scull, double scull, coxless pair, quadruple scull, coxless four and eights.
The junior crews depart New Zealand on 31 July for pre competition training prior to the World Junior Rowing Championships.
Rowing New Zealand will also send a group of elite athletes to Rio at the conclusion of the 2015 World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette, France.
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