2014 World Rowing Masters Regatta underway down under

Attracting more than 1100 masters rowers from around the world to the spring-time temperatures in Ballarat, Australia, this event will showcase more than 230 races. Twenty-nine countries will take part, with the largest contingent from the host nation, Australia and the next largest from Japan. Three athletes born in 1926 will compete at the event, inspiring fellow competitors, fans and spectators that rowing can truly be a lifelong sport.

A number of Olympians will participate in this year’s event and a special row and presentation has been included for competitors from the 1956 Olympic Games, which took place on the same course.

Olympians from the 1956 Games will include Adrian Monger and Neville Howell featured in Australia’s 1956 medal winning crew, in a boat with two members of Italy’s Olympic men’s eight from the same year, Antonio Casuar and Cosimo Campioto. The Japanese crew, which sees four of the original 1956 crew from Keio University, plus the crew’s reserve from 1956, Mr Tohru Sasaki, are excited to be back in Ballarat.

Mr Sasaki said: “We’re very excited to be back in Ballarat again. We were here in 2002 for a reunion and now we are back again and we feel very welcome. Some of us are rowing competitively but not all as there are a few in the team who have had pace-makers fitted and can only do the row past!
 
“We had a wonderful time in Ballarat in 1956 and we still now have a yearly reunion of the Japanese crew who raced here to catch up and tell stories of our time in Melbourne and the great friends we made.”

Races at the World Rowing Masters Regatta take place over a 1000 metre course, with straight finals in boat classes from singles to eights. Masters competitors are placed in age categories from A to K, ‘A’ being an average of 27 years or over, and ‘K’ being an average of 85 years or over.

Following three days of racing, 9 to 11 October, rowers have the opportunity to sign up for mixed rowing events on the final day, 12 October. These events bring together male and female athletes from around the world in a spirit of unity, fun and competition.

Special thanks to Rowing Australia

Full results will be posted on the Regatta Central website here: https://www.regattacentral.com/regatta/?job_id=2542

For more information about the event, visit the Organising Committee’s webpage here: http://www.wrmr2014.com/ 

For more information about masters rowing, visit the World Rowing website here: www.worldrowing.com/masters