Vermeersch and Hagan to Compete in World Cup 3

The Australian Rowing Team will aim to build on its performance from the last World Cup in Eton Dorney (UK) this weekend as they take to the water at World Cup 3 in Lucerne, Switzerland (July 12-14).

WAIS athletes Hannah Vermeersch and Alex Hagan will form part of the Australian women’s four crew alongside teammates Charlotte Sutherland and Lucy Stephan.

Australia’s four crews competing in Eton Dorney three weeks ago, made three finals with the men’s four winning World Cup gold and the women’s quad scull winning bronze.

Eight crews and a total of 25 athletes will race at the final and third World Cup as the team continues to build ahead of the 2013 World Rowing Championships in Chungju, South Korea later this year (August 25-September 1).

Australia’s men’s four crew with William Lockwood (VIC), Alexander Lloyd (NSW), Spencer Turrin (NSW) and Joshua Dunkley-Smith (VIC) will look for a repeat of their World Cup 2 performance, where they walked away with a gold medal and the World Cup lead. They will face a high-quality field of fourteen crews entered in Lucerne.

After an impressive bronze medal in the women’s quad scull in Eton Dorney, last year’s Under 23 World Champions Rebekah Hooper (VIC), Jessica Hall (QLD), Madeleine Edmunds (QLD) and Olympia Aldersey (SA) will aim to build on their first Senior A season of racing when they line up against a strong field of twelve crews, including World Cup 2 gold and silver medallists from Germany and Poland.

Dual Olympic medallist Kim Crow joined the team after her Ladies’ Trophy win at the prestigious Holland Beker in Amsterdam, Netherlands in the women’s single sculls two weeks ago (Media Release Kim Crow wins Holland Beker). In Lucerne, Crow will aim to repeat her Sydney World Cup win from March this year. She will be racing in a field of 19 crews, including the world’s top single scullers such as 2012 Olympic champion Mirka Knapkova (CZE) and fourth placed 2012 Olympian and 2013 World Cup 2 winner Emma Twigg (NZL).

For the World Rowing Cup 3 in Lucerne the Australian contingent is also joined by ten athletes of the Under 23 Team, who arrived in Europe on Sunday (July 7). After Lucerne, this group will continue to the Under 23 World Rowing Championships in Linz, Austria (25-28 July).

Following the successful racing at World Cup 2 Rowing Australia’s Head Coach Drew Ginn says the main aim for the final Word Cup is to build on the past results and to expose the team to more high-level international competition and quality racing.

“We had a successful kick-off of our European racing tour in Eton Dorney a couple weeks ago and a solid training block at the Australian Institute of Sport’s European Training Centre in Varese since then. All crews are eager to build on this and to get more high-level racing under their belt before we go back to Australia to prepare for the World Championships at the end of August.”

“Lucerne will also give our top Under 23 crews a welcome racing opportunity and international exposure ahead of the World Championships in Linz.”

Following the conclusion of the World Cup in Lucerne, the Senior A team will return to Australia to prepare for the World Championships at the end of August (25 August to September 1).

In Australia coverage of the World Rowing Cup finals will be available via FOX SPORTS on Sunday, 14 July as well as on Monday, 15 July and Wednesday, 17 July:Foxsports TV Guide.

The Lucerne World Cup is the third and last in the series of three World Rowing Cup events and has attracted 650 athletes from 43 countries.

The World Rowing Cup series was launched in 1997 and includes all 14 Olympic boat classes. The overall World Rowing Cup winners are determined after a series of three regattas. Following the two initial stages of the 2013 Samsung World Rowing Cup held in Sydney (AUS) and at Eton Dorney (GBR), it is Great Britain leading the overall World Cup standings with 140 points. Australia currently ranks second with 99 points and New Zealand has 97 points.

A full Samsung World Rowing Cup event by event preview will be available on www.worldrowing.com on Wednesday 10 July (CET).

-RowingAustralia