Penrith Selection Trials Update

WAIS rowers have been busy this weekend in Penrith, vying for team selection ahead of the Beijing Games.

James Gatti, Natalie Bale, Amber Bradley and Sally Robbins have all been competing in various combinations, in their respective boats, earning rankings that will decide their Olympic fate.

The competition for the Men’s sculling spots has been a highlight of the third and final selection trials thus far, with eight men battling for five spots.

James Gatti is among that group and is in need of some serious results before the end of the competition. Out of the eight men, he and Tim Hennessy (SA) are the only rowers without a win, leaving the pair behind in the all-important rankings.

The women’s lightweight double scull world champions, Marguerite Houston (SA) and Amber Halliday (SA), produced a typically strong finish to overhaul the heavyweight double scull combination of Sally Robbins (WA) and Sonia Mills (ACT).

Robbins similarly to Gatti needs to find a win, or risks missing out on an Olympic berth.

In the Women’s quad scull, Amber Bradley has strengthened her claims for inclusion helping her crew to a win over the double scull crew of Sally Robbins and Amy Ives.

With two more women to be added to the women’s eight squad by the end of these trials, Natalie Bale (WA) and Robyn Selby Smith (VIC) were quick across the water in the women’s pair to become the leading contenders to join the squad.

The official selection regatta has now finished but trialling will continue over the next week to find the strongest combinations. A number of the selected boats, including the women’s eight, women’s pair and men’s lightweight double scull will also arrive in Penrith this afternoon to race in their respective boats.