Toowong Rowing Club’s Hamish Parry prepares for Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta

Toowong Rowing Club’s Hamish Parry hopes to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games at May’s Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta, known to rowers as the dreaded “death regatta’’.

Australian rower Hamish Parry is in full training in a bid to clinch a cherished berth at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

The Calamvale-raised athlete will be powering full stream ahead to qualify at May’s Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta, known to rowers as the dreaded “death regatta’’.

The Our lady of Lourdes past student will enter the fray in the best condition of his life after the finest season of his rowing career.

Toowong Rowing Club’s Hamish Parry. Copyright is Rowing Australia.

He first has to receive the blessing of Rowing Australia to compete after Parry’s 2019 World Cup partner, Leon Chambers, withdrew from the Olympic campaign.

It is an unfortunate spanner in the works for Parry after he and Chambers claimed a bronze medal at a World Cup regatta last year.

It was Australia’s first Lightweight Men’s Double Scull medal since 2014.

HOW PARRY’S PARENTS ENCOURAGED HIM INTO THE SPORT

“It was the highest I have achieved at seniors. But I hope to do better,’’ the Toowong Rowing Club junior said in reference to winning a place at the 2020 Olympic Games.

“I finished with a bronze medal at one of the World Cups which, upon reflection, was not as promising as we thought.

A picture of Hamish Parry of Calamvale when he was selected in the Australian Rowing Team in 2013.

“There were a lot of teams which then went to worlds and beat us like Spain and the Irish, but the competition in light weight mens doubles in the Olympic category is fierce.’’

At the world championships, Parry and Chambers needed a top seven finish to qualify for the Olympics but finished eighth, pushing them to the last chance regatta in May.

Despite Chambers’ withdrawal, Parry has not lost stride with his training and hopes his new partner is ratified and he attends the May Olympic qualifier.

Hamish Parry, Nick Pettigrew and Connor Austin in 2014. Pic Darren England.

Parry, whose local club is Toowong Rowing, was not put out by going through the”death regatta, noting in 2015 the Irish crew qualified for the Rio Olympics through the corresponding regatta, and ended up with an Olympic medal.