Last weekend, top rowers from around the globe gathered in Lucerne for the final Olympic qualifying regatta. According to goodthingsguy, the RMB National Squad qualified one boat for the Tokyo Olympics.
The squad spent three weeks in Lesotho and did a high altitude training camp to prepare for the final Olympic qualifiers where the head coach of RMB National Squad selected teams.
- Men’s Four – Lawrence Brittain, Kyle Schoonbee, John Smith, Sandro Torrente
- Lightweight Women’s Double ScullI – Kirsten McCann, Nicole van Wyk
- Jake Green and Luc Daffarn paired up for the Men’s Heavyweight Pair boat that has already qualified for Tokyo Olympics.
The weather turned out wonderful this weekend, but organisers were forced to do a three-day regatta in two days. Teams had to race the semi-finals and finals in one day, making the regatta much tougher.
Kirsten MacDonald (McCann) and Nicole van Wyk missed the qualification, while the Men’s Four, Lawrence Brittain, Kyle Schoonbee, John Smith and Sandro Torrente, won the semi-finals and finals, claiming a gold medal and a ticket to Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
Sean Kerr, president of Rowing South Africa, said: “We couldn’t be more proud of the team that represented us in Lucerne. The four-year build-up is brutal and the athletes sacrifice a large part of their lives to become Olympians. To have a Men’s Four this quick and to win the qualifier on Sunday only bodes well for another great representation from South Africa at the games in rowing. Now for the buildup to Tokyo.”
Picture: RMB