WA Athletes Selected on Australian Rowing Team

Four Western Australian athletes have been confirmed on the Australian Rowing Team for the World Cup season in Europe.

The Australian Rowing Team will compete at World Cup 2 in Poland in June and World Cup 3 in the Netherlands in July ahead of an international season that will culminate with the 2019 World Championships in Austria beginning in late August.

David Watts has been confirmed in the men’s quad scull crew, the same boat with which he collected a silver medal at last year’s world titles.

Rowing Australia has decided however to name sweep squads for both men’s and women’s teams, with further race simulations set to determine which athletes will compete in which boat crews.

This includes reigning world champion Joshua Hicks – who has been a member of the Australian men’s four for a number of years now.

The women’s sweep squad includes Annabelle McIntyre and Bronwyn Cox, with Cox in line to make a potential senior squad debut, having contested at U23 level over the past two international seasons.

McIntyre won a world championship bronze medal in the women’s eight in 2018 but is being considered in the pair or four in 2019 following some standout performances across the domestic season thus far.

Rowing Australia Performance Director Bernard Savage said the decision to select a sweep squad had been based on the high number of talented athletes currently available for selection.

“Ahead of the World Rowing Cups we’ve made the decision to name a men’s and women’s sweep squad. We are confident we have a really strong group of athletes, it is now about selecting the best possible combinations for the boat classes we could be racing in – pairs, fours and eights.

This strategy has been influenced by the 2019 World Championships also doubling as a qualification regatta for the Tokyo2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“We’ll use our simulation regattas to further test crew combinations ahead of the World Rowing Cups. It is important we have the best possible crews competing at the World Cups as part our preparation in the lead up to selections for the World Rowing Championships.

“We’re pleased to welcome back some experienced athletes into the team for the World Cups, alongside some athletes making the step up into their first senior team, and are looking forward to seeing what we can deliver at the regattas.”

Meanwhile, Western Australian athlete Davinia Lefroy has been selected onto the Australian Para-Rowing Team for the FISA International Para-Rowing Regatta in Gavirate, Italy in May.

Lefroy who competed for Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics has been selected as part of Australia’s nine-strong PR3 squad, with further selections for the 2019 Para-Rowing World Championships to be reviewed after the regatta in Gavirate.