8th February – The Rowing Briefing

This is your weekly Rowing Briefing, covering the key developments of the last seven days on the rowing circuit, both in the UK and beyond. To receive an audio briefing with these stories and more at the start of each week, sign up to Updates. If you have a story to share, contact our news desk – juniorrowingnews@gmail.com.

Domestic Rowing:

“…we will now be extending this elite status to a select group of named athletes from British Rowing pathway programmes, who are on track to be part of the squad at the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Andy Parkinson, British Rowing CEO

With a fluttering of snow dancing across the British Isles, a new week begins for rowers everywhere. With 165 days until the plans Tokyo Games, the Olympic and Paralympic squads are in full swing, whilst club rowers continue to power through the third national lockdown. 

Andy Parkinson, British Rowing’s CEO, has provided an update on the widening of the ‘elite athlete’ classification that will allow named pathway rowers to continue semi-standard training whilst under Covid restrictions. 

Leeds, Bath and Nottingham have been designated ‘ British Rowing Elite Development Pathway Hubs’ which will allow them – if adequate coronavirus mitigation measures are in place – to continue to provide on-water training for named elite athletes. For clarity, this does not mean that other athletes at these clubs will resume water training. 

Mr Parkinson provided three reasons for this change in classification:

1. Stringent protocols have been identified and implemented where required.
2. There is now scope to widen the elite status under the latest government guidance.
3. We are now entering what should be ‘year 1’ of the Paris 2024 cycle, meaning the athletes being given elite status would typically already be embedded at Caversham. 

British Rowing has also announced that a new panel of seven ‘external selectors’ will select athletes for the 2021-2024 competitive cycle. The selectors’ primary roles will be to ‘check and challenge’ to ensure that he published selection procedure is being followed while ensuring that decision principles are aligned across Olympic, Paralympic, Under23 and Under19 squads. 

Director of Performance Brendan Purcell said: “The appointment of external selectors is an important step in our plan to move decision making closer to each crew by giving more autonomy to the respective lead coaches. We are delighted with the calibre and credentials of the successful candidates who will all bring enormous value to their respective squads.”

International Rowing

 “It has been anything but usual this quadrennial.”

World Rowing Press Release

World Rowing has confirmed that the Asia and Oceania Continental Olympic Qualification Regatta will be held at the Tokyo Sea Forrest Waterway from the 5th to the 7th May 2021.

For the two Asia and Oceania Para Rowing events scheduled for this regatta, there would be a date conflict with the Final Paralympic Qualification Regatta scheduled for Gavirate, Italy and, as such, these Para events could not be included in the Tokyo event. Because of this, eligible crews from Asia/Oceania would qualify at a separate continental qualification event. This event is expected to be announced later today.

This article supplements our Weekly Briefing that you can have delivered to your WhatsApp inbox at the start of each week. To find out more and sign up, head over to Updates.

If you’re hungry for more, check out any of our other pieces from The Catch, listen to our latest podcast episode, or flick through our race previews.

For all the best rowing news, keep up with JRN on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Cover image by Roesie Percy

About The Author

Ed Evans

Having joined the team in 2018, Ed is our Head of Operations and Socials. He is currently studying Medicine at University College, London.

See author's posts