After the tumultuous last year, the new one has already brought its challenges. Although the omicron variant looked daunting going into 2022 it seems we may (fingers crossed) be in the clear for now at least and, for the first time since 2019 may have a year untainted by restrictions and will not yet again banished to our kitchens to spend hours alone on the grey machines.
December gave us a chance to look back on the year we’ve had in rowing. Having races back on after a year and a half off has given the rowing world more to appreciate. We saw the return of a relatively consistent head season which followed a successful end to regatta season. The year ahead has much to look forward to with January brining about more head races and the year ahead looking promising for some great racing.
Towards the end of the year a few rowers declared their retirements. Beccy Muzerie, Mat Tarrant and Jack Beaumont all announced they were hanging up their GB all-in ones after a series of successful careers. The rowing world will miss them all and wish them a happy retirement.
British Rowing announced that Louise Kingsley will be the first female Director of Performance. Bringing large background knowledge having previously been Deputy Director of Performance Pathways and the Paralympic Programme. With promises from British Rowing to diversify and scrutiny to prioritise rowers welfare it will be intriguing to see what she does to help evolve the sport. Just in the last few days, British Rowing have also announced that Paul Stannard will be the new Men’s Olympic Head Coach. He has been a part of the British Rowing team for 18 years in various coaching roles and has been instrumental in the sculling success at the last two Olympics, which saw the men’s coxless quad winning the first ever Olympic medal in that category at Tokyo. Stannard has been working with British Rowing since 2003, when he helped set up the talent ID centre in Bath. He is clearly someone who understands what it means to be a British Rowing coach, and hopefully he has the ability to continue to produce strong results as he managed with the sculling team in Tokyo 2020. The vacancy for the Women’s Olympic Head Coach is still open.
As the days begin to get longer there are many more head races to look forward to, including the long anticipated HORR, which has not been held since 2019 due to COVID, or WEHORR which has not been held since 2018. So, here is to looking forward at the year ahead and getting through a few more months of hard training through the British winter, to soon be together in the sun again.
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