Rowers, rising stars to watch at NSW rowing championships ahead of Paris 2024 Olympic trials

It’s a crucial regatta for Australia’s best ahead of Olympic trials but also for the young guns of rowing aiming at the LA and Brisbane games. Rowers to watch at the NSW championships.

NSW rower Zoe Bond. Picture: Supplied.

The Sydney 2000 Olympic rowing course is hosting one of the most important regattas of the year this weekend as Australia’s best flex their muscle at the NSW rowing champs.

The three-day event started on Friday and is a required regatta for top rowers bidding to make the Paris Olympic team.

That’s turned the NSW championships into one into one of the biggest and most important regattas of the year with more than 2500 athletes from across Australia, but predominantly from NSW, competing across a range of distances, boats and age divisions.

There’s plenty of interest in the top guns at the event – including the likes of Tokyo Olympians Tara Rigney, Georgina Rowe and fellow members of the national training squad – as they vie for a spot in Olympic trials later this year.

“It’s very serious. Huge. It’s one of the last chances to be invited to Olympic trials, to show you your stuff and put down a time,’’ said NSW Rowing participation manager Elliot Shackcloth-Bertinetti.

Tara Rigney is one of Australia's best. Picture: Rowing Australia

“They are close to 30 NSW rowers pushing for Paris. Some are at the national training centre and others aren’t. Athletes outside of that who have been putting up good performances can be invited in.’’

The event also doubles as a selection for the under 21 youth eight competing at the Australian championships later this year.

NSW are the defending men’s and women’s youth eight titleholders.

One of the penultimate events at the NSW championships is likely to be the eights racing which boasts one of the best field in recent years.

We take a look at some of the top guns, rowers of interest and rising stars of the sport heading to the NSW championships.

NSW rower Zoe Bond is competing at the championships. Picture: Supplied.

Emily Sheppard is from Sydney University Boat club and won gold in the Coxed 4 in 2023. Only started rowing as a 15-year-old with a goal of making the LA Olympics in 2028. She will be racing in the women’s elite single.

Sydney Rowing Club’s Grace Sypher is a transplant from Rockhampton now based in Sydney after leaving school. She finished 4th in the U23 Worlds lightweight single scull in 2023.

UTS rower Laura Gourleyis another rising star of rowing who originally hailed from country NSW. Now studying agriculture, she is only 21 but qualified the double for the Paris Olympics and is a member of the national training squad.

Marcus Della Marta, left, is pushing to make the selection trials. Picture: Supplied

Sydney rower Marcus Della Marta has returned to the sport after a two year break. Now racing for the Sydney University Boat Club he has stripped more than 30 kilos in weight to be pushing for Paris Olympic selection.

Mosman rowing club’s Scheel Gamborg is just 17 and another to watch in the future.

He is currently the fastest in the U19s 5k and 2km time trials. Has also nominated for beach sprint.

Bronze medallists Ria Thompson, Rowena Meredith, Harriet Hudson and Caitlin Cronin after the Quadruple Sculls Final in Tokyo.

An Olympic bronze medallist in Tokyo, Harriet Hudson is well known and hails from the Sydney Rowing Club. Another regional athlete now based in Sydney. A multiple world under 23 medallist

Sydney Rowing Club’s Samy Morton is 23 and was part of the gold medal winning Coxed 4 in 2022. Came to rowing for Australian through the US College System.

Young rower Harrison Nichols. Picture: Supplied

Harrison Nichols is a teenager to watch in the future. Hails from Newcastle and the Hunter and has already qualified for Paris in the PR3 Coxed four.

Sydney Uni Boat Club's Imogen Grey is the daughter of former Wallaby Nathan Grey who see sister also plays rugby. She has a scholarship to Texas starting later this year.

David Bartholot is from the Sydney Uni boat club and 28. A former surf boat rower he is also a past world championship bronze medallist.

Leila Gaston from St Catherine’s and UTS is another rower on the rise. She won three medals at last years nationals to be one of the standouts.

Young rower Imogen Grey, in stroke seat, is heading to the US later this year.

Sydney Rowing Club teenager Alec Hoskin is another to watch. The 19-year-old was part of the NSW youth winning eight last year.

Lucy Yabsley from Glebe and Ascham is just 16 but a rising star who turned plenty of heads at last year’s rowing championships. She has come through Glebe Rowing Club and the rowing program at Ascham.

Zoe Bond is 19 and from the Sydney Uni Boat Club and a former U19 world championship rower who is also part of the NSW team. Moved from Canberra to Sydney for rowing.

UTS rower Joe Lynch from UTS is 18 was in the U19 world championships coxed 4 gold medal winning crew when in Year 11 at school.