Rowing Australia sweeps broom through coaching ranks after Olympic flop

Rowing Australia has installed new men’s and women’s head coaches to lead its program to the LA and Brisbane Games after its worst Olympic return in more than 30 years.

Rowing Australia’s Paris post mortem may still be ongoing but the organisation has already appointed new coaches to its high performance programs through to Los Angeles after its worst Olympic performance in more than 30 years.

RA announced the appointment of James Harris and Chris O’Brien as head coaches of its National Training Centres (NTCs) on Monday to lead the Rowsellas’ programs to the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

After speaking to 13 international coaches from eight countries - including many of the top nations from the Paris Games - and running an expression of interest process with Australian coaches, RA chief executive Sarah Cook and performance director Paul Thompson plumped for O’Brien and Harris to lead the revival of the sport.

Annabelle McIntyre (right) and Jess Morrison won Australia’s only rowing medal in Paris, taking bronze in the women's pair. Picture: AFP

The appointment of both men is seen as a coup, with Harris having been poached from the successful Great Britain program to lead Australia’s women and O’Brien returning to rowing to take charge of the men’s squad after a stint in executive management with Gymnastics Australia.

“We’ve really had a lot of conversations for many hours with a lot of people over recent months and what has really struck me, both about Chris and James that we’ve been looking for, is we want people with an athlete-centred approach … who also have a history of sustained success,” Cook said.

The moves are also likely to go down well with patron Gina Rinehart, who tips millions into the sport through direct athlete support and told this masthead in Paris that great coaching is essential for great results.

Rinehart has committed to backing the rowing team for the next four years through to the LA Games and is likely to be on board again in the lead-up to the Brisbane Olympics.

“The money is certainly helpful but it needs to be teamed with great coaching as well,” she said after watching three Aussie crews in action at the Vaires-sur-Marne course just outside Paris.

The appointment of Harris, who was high performance coach for the British women at the Games and whose resume includes coaching the women’s four to Olympic silver in Paris and their women’s eight to a silver medal in 2016, is seen as a massive move.

“It’s really exciting to get a young, ambitious coach who’s been part of a very successful program as the British program has been, historically, but especially this cycle,” Cook said.

Harris is relishing the chance to join the Aussie program, seeing opportunity for the future rather than concern over a Paris program that delivered just one medal.

New men’s national training centre coach Chris O'Brien talks to eventual pairs gold medallists James Tomkins (L) and Drew Ginn. Picture: Colleen Petch

“I’ve spent over a decade working in one of the world’s leading rowing programs and I’m looking forward to the huge opportunity of a head coaching role in a proud rowing nation like Australia,” he said.

The appointment of O’Brien is no less impressive, with the former gold medal-winning mentor back on the coaching tools in a move that is being welcomed by the rowing community.

“To have four Olympic medals over four Olympic Games, including two gold, and moving out of coaching and now finding his way back ... to come back to rowing Australia at this time as a coach, I think is really exciting for us, and a huge vote of confidence as to where we’re headed,” Cook said.

Most recently the performance director and interim CEO of Gymnastics Australia, O’Brien said he had learned an incredible amount working in high performance across multiple sports but rowing had been a “lifelong passion”.

“It feels like coming home and I’m ready to play my part in shaping this hugely important period as we look towards LA and then beyond to a home Games in Brisbane,” O’Brien said

Outgoing women’s coach John Keogh and men’s coach Rhett Ayliffe “didn’t feature in (the selection) process” after discussions with Cook and Thompson before and after the Paris campaign on their futures and where the program was headed leading into the Brisbane Games in 2032.

James Harris will work with the Australian women’s team. Picture: Getty Images

A rowing Olympian herself, Cook acknowledged “there’s clearly disappointment around the place in terms of the results in Paris for the Olympic team” but believes the sport has the athletes coming through to be able to regenerate quickly.

“We know that we’ve got an incredibly talented group of next gen athletes coming through.

“In 2012 (Olympics), rowing, swimming and cycling all fell over,” she said of the traditionally strong Australian programs that won 21 medals overall but just two gold in London, with rowing missing the top step of the podium.

“And we know that it can be turned around. The perfect example, in our case is the British.

“In the in the Tokyo cycle, the British won a bronze and a silver - which for them was not a good performance. But you look at them now, eight medals, three of them gold, 36 medallists of the 45 athletes that they had in Paris.

“It’s quite extraordinary how quickly you can turn things around with a good athlete pipeline, sufficient investment, and then high quality coaching and leadership.”

Originally published as Rowing Australia sweeps broom through coaching ranks after Olympic flop