Scotch College

Going for Gold!

Words: Greg Baker

Four Old Scotch Collegians have been selected to represent Australia in forthcoming international rowing events, including the Beijing Olympic Games.

Drew Ginn (’92) is teaming up with Duncan Free from Queensland to compete in the coxless pairs event at the Olympic Games. Drew and Duncan won a gold medal at last year’s world championships, and will go to Beijing as favourites for the event. This will be Drew’s third Olympics. He won a gold medal in Atlanta in 1996 in the ‘Oarsome Foursome’ and another gold medal at the Athens Olympics in the coxless pairs with James Tomkins.

Cameron McKenzie-McHarg (’98) has won selection in the Australian coxless four. This crew will compete at the Olympic qualifying regatta in Poland in June. A top two finish at this regatta will see the crew go on to represent Australia at the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Angus Tyers (’05) capped off a remarkable season with selection in the under 23 lightweight coxless quad scull crew, to be coached by Ian Wright from Melbourne University Boat Club. Angus was stroke of Scotch’s 2005 winning Head of the River crew, and he has turned to lightweight rowing over the past season.

At the Australian championships, Angus scored a convincing win in the under 23 lightweight single scull in a field of 30 scullers. He came from fourth place at the 500-metre mark to take a handy lead at the 1,000-metre mark and went on to win. He then teamed up with Tom Bertrand from Mercantile Rowing Club to win the under 23 lightweight double scull title.

This is the first time that Angus has represented Australia. The crew will train in Melbourne and then compete at the world under 23 rowing championships in Brandenburg, Germany, in mid-July.

He has been joined in the team by Alex Scharp (’05). Alex won the under 23 coxless pair event at the Australian championships with John Linke, an Old Geelong Collegian. Alex also rowed in Victoria’s successful youth VIII, and he has been selected in the Australian under 23 VIII to compete in Brandenburg. We will watch with interest the progress of all these oarsmen. GS