Image Credit – Rowing Australia
To be selected for national team trials in sculling boats, U23 athletes in Australia are required to race the U23 single sculls at the national championships. As a result, the U23 single scull is one of the most competitive events at the Australian National Championships, held this year at Lake Barrington, Tasmania. Known for its challenging conditions, the athletes who will end up racing for the podium will be exceptionally fit and technically skilled. But who of the twenty-six entries is looking strongest this year?
Hamish Danks – Sydney University
The winner of the U23 single scull at the Rowing NSW State Championships this year was Sydney University’s Hamish Danks, who won in a time of 6:58.76. He has also had strong results in past years, with Danks representing Australia in the 2021 U19 Australian team, as well as several podium finishes at the Australian Rowing Championships in junior events between 2021 and 2024. With several months of work under his belt since the NSW Championships and a strong taper into the Australian Rowing Championships, Danks will be looking to take the top step on the podium this year.
Adam Holland – Adelaide Rowing Club
The recent Rowing NSW State Championships had two scullers manage to go under the coveted seven-minute mark in the U23 scull: Hamish Danks, and Adam Holland of Adelaide Rowing Club. Coming in only 0.69 seconds behind Danks, Holland has previously represented Australia in the U21 team in 2023, and currently holds the U21 5km erg Australian Record. We can be sure that Holland will be racing hard to get over the finish line in front this time around.
Mitchell Bridge – Toowong Rowing Club
As usual, the Queenslanders are also looking strong this year. In particular, Toowong Rowing Club’s Mitchell Bridge raced at the Rowing Queensland State championships, finishing second in the Open Scull to long-time victor of the scull Jackson Free. Unfortunately, the NSW State Championships was not his day, as he failed to make the A-final. However, the months since these two events will have been full of hard work for this promising young athlete, who will be looking to challenge the leaders in some more difficult conditions.
Monty Martin – University of Queensland
The dominant Queenslander at the NSW State Championships was the University of Queensland’s Monty Martin, who finished third behind Danks and Holland. However, he was around ten seconds back from those athletes, and he will be hoping for a stronger race with a faster time at the Australian Rowing Championships to try and earn an invite to the national team selection trials at the end of April.
Oscar Beregi – UTS Haberfield
Another promising young athlete from New South Wales, Oscar Beregi from UTS Haberfield finished eighth at the NSW championships in this event. However, in 2024, the UTS Haberfield program showed a trend across the board of finishing off the podium at the state championships to then turn around and produce podium performances at the Australian Rowing Championships. Oscar Beregi was no exception, finishing third in the U21 Single Scull at the 2024 Australian Rowing Championships. We can expect Beregi to be racing hard to make it onto the podium for a second year in a row.
Andrew Weightman – University of Queensland
The final medalist from last year’s U21 single scull at the National Championships is University of Queensland’s Andrew Weightman. Weightman finished sixth in the U23 Scull at NSW Rowing Championships, and he will be putting in all he has to podium in this event.
Prediction
The race for the top step of the podium will be fierce, and it could come down to the very last stroke. However, I will tentatively pick Hamish Danks to narrowly beat out Adam Holland for first place, with Monty Martin racing hard to round out the podium and take the bronze medal.
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