Rowing Down Under
Catch-up on all the action from the Australian Rowing Championships
Image Credit: Rowing Australia
The President’s Cup race for Interstate men’s singles has a certain aura about it. It might be the prestige of the title ‘Mr President’ awarded to the winner, or it might be the privilege of representing your state’s hopes without your crewmates’ support. Whatever it is, it’s often a race that elicits a special performance to secure a win.
New South Wales – Marcus Della Marta
One of an intimate group of National Training Centre athletes for 2025, Marcus Della Marta is back for his second tilt at the Presidents Cup. The favourite last year, Marcus led early but couldn’t hold off Olympic Gold medallist Alex Hill as the South Australian dominated the race to secure his fourth win. Della Marta is the current NSW Champion in the single, taking victory in a race that featured three of the competitors he’ll face on Sunday afternoon. The open men’s single race here at Barrington threw up a few surprises, not least the fact the Welshman finished at the rear of the field after leading to the 500m. Della Marta will look to the Interstate regatta as a chance for redemption this year, and will certainly pose a threat in the race’s early stages.
South Australia – Oscar McGuiness
With reigning champion Alex Hill absent from the waters of Lake Barrington this week, rumours are swirling about who will be filling his South Australian zootie on Sunday. After an emphatic win in the men’s single on Thursday, it’s most likely to be Oscar McGuiness who will race on Sunday. The former lightweight has been building nicely over the last twelve months to compete for a spot in the Australian sculling squad. It won’t be his first time rowing for South Australia, though, or his first time enjoying success in red. McGuiness holds the distinction of having medalled in three of the four able-bodied men’s interstate events, placing third in the youth eight, lightweight four, and King’s Cup in 2017, 2023, and 2024 respectively. A medal here would make him the first athlete ever to medal in all four races; achieving that feat with a win would be all the more special.
Western Australia – Alex Rossi
No stranger to Interstate success, Alex Rossi will don the yellow zootie for Western Australia on Sunday in this event and the King’s Cup. His first time racing for the President’s Cup won’t be his first for WA, though, as he has raced in the King’s Cup since 2021, securing a bronze in that event in 2022. Despite his status as one of the more senior members of a young group of Australian scullers, Rossi doesn’t appear to be challenging the top echelons at the moment, after a tough row in the semifinal left him contesting the B-final of the men’s single this week. A well-paced scull in the B-final saw him row through the field to win it, though, and if he can find himself in the mix at the halfway mark, we know to expect a grandstand finish from Rossi.
ACT – Hamish Harding
The President’s Cup is an event that has been just narrowly out of reach for the ACT in recent years in the hands of Caleb Antill, but following his retirement, the reigns have been given to another former lightweight, Hamish Harding. After missing out on selection in the LM2x last year, he’s opted to stack on the kilos and is now competing at the pointy end of the Aussie sculling scene. After finishing fifth at the NSW Championships in February, a bronze medal this week in the open single will be a massive boost of confidence going into the weekend. Hamish is a tough racer, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the mix for the top three on Sunday afternoon.
Queensland – Jackson Free
The five-time Queensland State Champion in this event, Jackson Free, has been a force to be reckoned with in Australian sculling for several years. This will be his third time competing in this event, finishing a best of fifth in 2022. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen the Free name racing for the title of Mr President, though, as Jackson’s uncle Duncan Free won the race on seven occasions, the first being here in Tasmania in 1997. Expect Free to be right in the mix with the mid-field of this race when it starts to heat up on Sunday afternoon.
Victoria – Dominic Frederico
With selection depending upon the results of the open men’s single this week, it’s safe to assume that the performance of Dominic Frederico will contest the President’s Cup as entered. Fresh off an U23 silver in the double sculls in Canada last year, Frederico appears to be in fine form and looked every bit deserving of another silver claimed earlier in the week. Interestingly, Frederico forms one of four sets of siblings in the Victorian team this year, with his sister Emmie looking to claim another title in the Queen’s Cup. The vibe in the Victorian camp will be high this week, and Frederico might just find the extra couple of seconds he needs when he pulls on the Big White V on Sunday.
Prediction
With no past winners present in this race, we’re guaranteed to see the title of ‘Mr President’ awarded to a new athlete. My predictions for this event have been completely decimated by the results of the open singles this week, which sets us up for a thrilling race with storylines galore. The opportunity to be the first person ever to medal in all four able-bodied interstate events is one open to only Oscar McGuiness, and I think he’ll do it in fine form with his first win for South Australia. The following two spots could go either way, but I can’t help but feel Hamish Harding will gain some confidence from his row earlier in the week and pip Dom Frederico, who will finish third.
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