Junior rowers amongst first to sample Olympic ready venue

Junior rowers amongst first to sample Olympic ready venue

New Zealand's top junior rowers will be amongst the first of the country's international athletes to sample a 2012 Olympic-ready facility when they go for gold in this weekend's Junior World Rowing Championships, which are being held on the Olympic regatta course at Dorney Lake, Eton in the UK.

The event will act as a test event for the 2012 London Olympic Games. New Zealand's elite athletes sampled the course in 2009 and 2010 as part of their build up to Henley Royal Regatta, but the junior world championships will be the first big test of the venue as the countdown to the Olympics continues.

A total of 48 countries are entered to take part at Eton with a total of 578 athletes competing on the man-made regatta course from 3 - 7 August, 2011. The best subscribed events are the men's singles sculls and the men's double sculls, each having entries from 25 nations. Similarly for the women, the single sculls and the double sculls have the most entries.

The United States and Germany are both fielding full teams with entries in all of the 13 events. Host nation, Great Britain is entered in eight events. Most of these athletes will be racing at the international level for the first time and the majority of rowers are 18 years old. New Zealand will also have a small, but strong team that will include a Men's Junior Double Scull, a Men's Junior Coxed Four, a Men's Junior Quadruple Scull, a Women's Junior Four and a Women's Junior Quadruple Scull.

NEW ZEALAND JUNIOR ROWING TEAM 2011 TO COMPETE AT JUNIOR WORLD ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS, ETON 3-7 AUGUST 2011

Team Managers Steve and Michelle Lassche Women’s Quad Scull

Tessa Young James Hargest College, Waihopai RC Jessica Van Rossum Verdon College, Invercargill RC Georgia Perry St Peters School, Cambridge RC Ashleigh Hodge Cambridge RC, Waikato RPC Duncan by de Ley (coach) Women’s Coxless Four

Grace Spoors Christchurch Girls High School, Canterbury RC Fredericka Archibald St Margaret’s College, Avon RC Alice White Hamilton RC, Waikato RPC Catherine Shields Southern RPC Janey Wackrow (coach) Men’s Quad Scull

Lewis Hollows West End RC Stephen Jones West End RC Mitchell Horner Nelson College, Nelson RC Scott Green Nelson College, Nelson RC Bruce Jones (coach) Men’s Coxed Four

Tom Jenkins Napier Boys High School, Hawkes Bay RC Andrew Potter Napier Boys High School, Hawkes Bay RC Adam Smith Auckland Grammar School Louis van Velthooven Auckland Grammar School Caleb Shepherd (cox) Hamilton Boys High School, Waikato RC Gary Roberts (coach) Men’s Double Scull

Riordan Morrell Western Heights High School, Rotorua RC Greg Brand St Bede’s College, Avon RC Gary Roberts (coach)

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