WAIS Duo Selected in National Women’s Eight Squad

Rowing Australia has today announced the women’s eight crew that will attempt to qualify for the 2012 London Olympic Games next month at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland (May 20-23).

A squad of eleven athletes had been originally named after the 2012 Rowing Australia National Selection Trials in March, but following two more weeks of training and trialling, the final crew was selected.

Coxed by 2008 Beijing Olympian Lizzy Patrick (VIC), the crew will feature WAIS athletes Alexandra Hagan and Hannah Vermeersch as well as Phoebe Stanley (VIC), Sally Kehoe (QLD), Renee Chatterton (SA), Tess Gerrand (NSW), Sarah Cook (NSW) and Robyn Selby Smith (VIC).

The crew boasts a good mix of youth and experience with Kehoe and Cook both having Olympic experience from Beijing.

Rowing Australia National High Performance Director Andrew Matheson said he was happy with the final make-up of the crew.

“Over the last two months the whole squad of girls who were chasing selection in this boat have performed extremely well,” Matheson said. “They realise that the job to qualify the boat will be difficult but they are all extremely motivated.

“It is important that they execute their training plan to perfection over the coming four weeks.

“They, along with the lightweight men’s double scull and men’s single scull, will have all of Australia supporting them at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta.”

The three crews that are still attempting to qualify for the 2012 London Olympic Games will depart Australia on May 12 ahead of the regatta that commences on May 20 in Switzerland.

Those crews that successfully qualify for London from this regatta will remain on in Europe and compete at World Cup 3 in Munich, Germany (June 15-17), before completing their final preparations for the Games at the Australian Institute of Sport’s European Training Centre in Varese, Italy.

Australia currently has qualified 10 crews for the 2012 London Olympic Games, with these crews scheduled to depart Australia on May 15.

– Rowing Australia