Image Credit: Rowing Australia
The U23 women’s pair is a keystone race for those athletes seeking invitation to the U23 trials, just three weeks away. The season so far has seen many a familiar face return to the start line and some lightning-quick times as the minor medal achievers close in on the usual favourites. The gold medal is well and truly up for grabs for those who make it to Thursday morning’s hotly contested final.
Sydney Rowing Club (Remy McKay/Laura Sypher)
One of three Sydney Rowing Club combinations, Sypher and McKay are a surprising combination that has been blazing down the course all summer. Laura Sypher moves into the pair after three seasons of lightweight sculling, and Remy McKay, originally from Melbourne’s Mercantile, returns to the U23 pair event after finishing eighth at last year’s national regatta. At the NSW State Championships, they clinched the silver medal with just a 0.56-second margin, beating out the SRC/Sydney University combination who trumped them at the earlier NSW Small Boats regatta. The battle will rage on during the week in Lake Barrington, and this Sydney Rowing Club combination are sure to put up an intense fight.
Sydney Rowing Club (Sophie Barr/Isabella Scammell)
Sydney Rowing Club’s undeniable top pair of the season, Sophie Barr (formerly of Adelaide University) and Isabella Scammell are the pair to beat in this event. Scammell has dominated the U23 scene for nearly three years, with two medals from two appearances at the U23 World Rowing Championships. She comes into this regatta after winning the inaugural NSW Sprint Eliminator, beating out fierce national and international competition. Barr has returned to the domestic racing scene for the season after two years at Harvard, where she joined the ranks of their 1V8 in her sophomore season. Their pair has consistently succeeded in this pair combination so far this year against some fierce competition; they’ll be the ones to beat come Thursday morning.
Sydney University Boat Club/Sydney Rowing Club
The third combination features a Sydney Rowing Club athlete, Talisa Knoke-Driver, who pairs up with Sydney University Boat Club’s Steffanie Preller. Preller has seen success with a Sydney Rowing Club composite, winning the 2023 U21 Pair in Perth, and Knoke-Driver appeared at the U23 trials last year in a composite pair. Both athletes went on two represent Australia in the U21 Trans-Tasman series in 2023, Preller in the four and Knoke-Driver in the eight. After joining forces, they’ve been having brutal battles against the McKay/Sypher pair throughout the season, all the while closing in on Scammell and Barr’s lead. After being rolled right on the line at the NSW State Championships, this pair will be one to watch throughout the week.
Melbourne University/Mercantile
Melbourne University and Mercantile’s Zara Lavery and Anna Morrison will have their eyes fiercely on the podium this week, in their second season rowing in this combination and after spending last year’s winter at the University Games World Championships in the coxless four. The pair made an impressive comeback during this event’s NSW State Championship edition, fighting back from seventh through the first timing point to finish in fourth. From the heats to the finals next week, it will take a cracking start from these two to put themselves in the running for a medal.
Prediction
Where the field has been spread in previous years, this year’s U23 pairs are clocking times milliseconds apart in key races each weekend. The only Victorians, Morrison and Lavery will have the fire in them for a medal after missing out at the NSW State Championships, but if history is anything to go off, the race will remain between the NSW top three— in good conditions, the final should be a thrilling watch. I expect it to come right down to the line, with Scammell and Barr holding on to the gold. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a photo finish between the second Sydney Rowing Club boat of McKay and Sypher to the SUBC/SRC combination of Preller and Knoke-Driver for the silver and bronze medals.
About The Author
Discover more from JRN
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
