Rigney seals QF berth to headline impressive start for Australia in Belgrade

 

By Rupert Guinness with the Australian Rowing Team in Belgrade

Tara Rigney had some unexpected support literally pop up before she set off to win her Single Sculls heat at the World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia on Sunday.

A three-time Australian sculling champion and Bronze Medallist in last year’s World Championships, Rigney was preparing for the start when an “otter or a seal” suddenly emerged before her from the depths of the Ada Ciganlija Regatta Course.

“I thought it was a seal … it could have been an otter; but it came up at the start line, as if to say hello,” Rigney said. “I was worried it was going to keep on swimming towards me but then it went for another person, so it wasn’t an issue.”

The surprise visitor did not put Rigney off her focus for the heat. Racing in lane two, she led the race from start to finish and won the race in 7:21.90s, safely moving through to the Quarter Final on Wednesday. Her time was the second-fastest of six heats, with Dutch world champion Karolien Florijn setting the pace in 7:18.55.

“Everything went according to plan,” Rigney said. “We got the job done. I was happy with the time. It’s definitely quick out there which always makes racing a lot more exciting.”

Rigney’s win was one of several highlights for Australia on day one of the World Championships that end Sunday. The regatta has added importance with national teams using it to also try to qualify boats for the 2024 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Paris.

Three of the five Australian boats that raced on Sunday qualified for Quarter Finals. With Rigney in the Women’s Single Scull, they were the Men’s Pair of Fergus Hamilton and Simon Keenan and the Men’s Lightweight Double Scull of Sean Murphy and Oscar McGuinness.

The win by Hamilton and Keenan impressed, especially with their last 500m as they passed Serbia to finish in 6:22.45, the second-fastest winning time of five heats (Spain was fastest in 6:19.85). Hamilton and Keenan race their Quarter Final on Wednesday.

Fast Fact 
There are some big boppers in the Australian Rowing Team. It takes a lot to fuel them too. The average daily consumption of calories per Australian Men’s Heavyweight rower is 5900 (or 25,000 kilojoules), says Team Dietician Bronwen Lundy.

Quote of the Day
“We made the deal that Oscar (McGuinness) is going to be like a horse with the blinkers on and me, the jockey making calls.” – Australian Men’s Lightweight Double Scull member Sean Murphy on who calls the shots in the crew.

Question of the Day
“Who’s the best tennis player in the world? – Serbian security guard at a regatta tribune to an Australian team staffer. The answer ‘Djokovic’ got them through…

The Australian crew is relatively new, formed just before the World Cup III regatta at Lucerne, Switzerland in early June.

“Lucerne [where they made the final] was very much a learning regatta, learning how to row and race together and how each of us likes to race,” Keenan said. “Since then, we’ve been able to build a combination. It’s been good to test it.”

In the Men’s Lightweight Double Scull heats the top four finishers went through to the Quarter Finals on Wednesday. Murphy and McGuinness placed fourth to progress.

In the Men’s Single Scull, West Australian Alex Rossi produced his second-best time to finish third in his heat in a time of 6:56.74. The first two in each of the eight heats qualified for the semi-final. Rossi will now race the Repechage on Monday (day two).

Also to race in the round of Repechages on Tuesday will be the Men’s Double Scull of Cormac Kennedy-Leverett and Harley Moore. They placed fifth in their heat on Sunday, having needed a top four finish to earn an automatic QF berth. They now face the Repechage on Monday, needing a top two finish.

Day 1: Full Australian results

Men’s Single Scull
Sculler: Alex Rossi (Coach: Don McLachlan)
Result: 1. AIN2 6m:44.61s; 2. Bel 6:48.41; 3. Alex Rossi (AUS) 6:56.74; 4. AIN1 7:01.79; 5. ZIM 7:10.50; 6.CIV 7:15.80
Qualifying: 1-2 to QF. Rest to repechage

Women’s Single Scull
Sculler: Tara Rigney (Coach: Ellen Randall)
Result: 1. Tara Rigney (AUS) 7m 21.90s; 2. LTU 7:24.08; 3. FRA 7:28.57; 4. TOG 8:28.48; 5. BRN 11:17.51
Qualifying: 1-3 to QF. Rest to repechage

Lightweight Men’s Double Scull
Crew: Oscar McGuinness, Sean Murphy (Coach: Larrissa Biesenthal/Lyall McCarthy)
Result: 1. SUI 6:11.93; 2. NOR 6:13.94; 3. 6:14.76; 4. AUS 6:20.63; 5. POL 6:27.19
Qualifying: 1-4 to QF. Rest to repechage

Men’s Pair
Crew: Fergus Hamilton, Simon Keenan (Coach: Laryssa Biesenthal)
Result: 1. AUS 6:22.45; 2. SRB 6:25.32; 3. CRO 6:27.51; 4. FRA 6:29.00; 5. TUR 6:30.01
Qualifying: 1-4 to QF. Rest to repechage

Men’s Double Scull
Crew: Cormac Kennedy-Leverett, Harley Moore (Coach: Rhett Ayliffe/Lyall McCarthy)
Result: 1. NED 6:08.54; 2. MDA 6:15.50; 3. SWE 6:18.65; 4. BEL 6:22.12; 5. AUS 6:24.33; 6. BRN 8:40.59
Qualifying: 1-4 to QF. Rest to repechage

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