April 2013 Information Bulletin #4

CSG Selection Camp Update
A reminder to all athletes that 2,000m Erg Submissions up to May 15, 2013 will be used by the ARA to determine invitees to the 2013 CSG Selection Camp on June 1-2, 2013 in Calgary, Alberta. As has been reported in previous ARA Submissions, attendance at the June 1-2 Selection Camp will be by invite only and will be automatically granted to those athletes who have met an aggressive erg standard

In reviewing erg results from the ARA Erg Championships and the April 8, 2013 RADAR Submission it has become apparent that the ARA will not be able to send a full team to the 2013 Canada Summer Games if the ARA remains steadfast in adhering to its previously reported erg standards. As a result the ARA has agreed to loosen the erg requirement for invite to the 2013 Selection Camp by 5 seconds. The new erg standards are as follows

Heavyweight Men 6:40

Lightweight Men 6:55

Heavyweight Women 7:40

Lightweight Women 7:55

To those athletes who hit the previously reported standard we commend you. Keep up the good work!

CSG April Camp
The ARA had originally planned an April CSG Camp to be held in Edmonton, Alberta. Upon further review the ARA has determined that it is in our best interest to cancel the April ergometer camp and in its place organise two separate pre-selection on-water camps; one in Edmonton for Northern Alberta Athletes (Lakeland, U of A and ERC) and one in Calgary for Southern Alberta Athletes (Calgary, U of C and CRC). Athletes will be informed of the date(s) of the respective camps via Team Snap no later than April 21, 2013. The camps will be designed to prepare athletes for the June 1-2 selection camp and as well answer questions that the athletes may have on the selection process itself.

ARA Awards
At the conclusion of the 2013 ARA Erg Championships, the ARA recognised four athletes for outstanding achievements in the 2012 calendar year. The athletes were

Olivia McMurray (CRC and UCRC) – Olivia narrowly missed the final of the U23 Women’s Pair final at the 2012 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta. Undeterred, Olivia teamed up with Brittney Szwarc at the Canadian University Rowing Championships (CURC) finishing fourth in the Women’s pair. A week later Olivia and Brittney were at the starting line of the National Rowing Championships (NRC). They would return home from the NRC Event with the Bronze medal in the U23 Women’s Pair.

Brittney Szwarc – In a tightly fought final, Brittney nearly claimed Henley Gold finishing third in the Women’s Pair. In the fall of 2012 Brittney teamed up with Olivia McMurray at the CURC’s finishing fourth in the Women’s pair. A week later Olivia and Brittney were at the starting line of the National Rowing Championships (NRC). They would return home from the NRC Event with the Bronze medal in the U23 Women’s Pair.

Ole Tietz – was involved in arguably three of the most exciting races at the 2012 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta. He missed the final of both the Senior Lightweight Men’s Single and the Senior Men’s Pair by a combined total of 0.4 seconds. In the Senior Lightweight Men’s Pair, Ole finished in third place missing out on Henley Gold by 2 seconds. At the 2012 CURC’s Ole found himself in another photo finish, but this time around he timed his last stroke just right in winning the Senior Lightweight Men’s Single. A week later Ole finished in sixth place in the Lightweight Men’s Single at the National Rowing Championships.

Nicole Hare: 2012 was a dream year for Nicole. Gold Medals at both the Royal Canadian Henley and National Rowing Championship Regattas in the Junior Women’s Single. In addition to gold in the Junior Women’s Single, Nicole also finished third at the National Rowing Championships in the U23 Women’s Single. Nicole’s successes in 2012 culminated in the winning of the Bobby Pearce Award as Canada’s Top Junior Female Sculler.

Congratulations to all four athletes.

ARA ERG Championships
The ARA would like to thank the Central Alberta Rowing Club for all their efforts in hosting the 2013 ARA Erg Championships. While not as large as years past, the 2013 version featured nearly 80 athletes competing across a number of different age classifications.

Thank-you to everyone who participated in this years event. We look forward to seeing you at the 2014 event.

Development Regatta
The 2013 Development Regatta will take on much the same look as the 2012 version in that there are are two regatta’s planned for this year – one on the west coast and one in Southern Ontario. The purpose of the format is to reduce travel for interested athletes. The West Coast Version of the regatta will take place on April 19 & 20 in Burnaby B.C, while the Southern Ontario version is scheduled to take place May 4-5 in Welland, Ontario. Athletes need attend only 1 event – not both.

The Development Regatta is designed to provide a competitive experience for athletes early in the season and will serve as an entry point for athletes (Junior, U23 and Senior) who wish to be considered for RCA’s 2013 National Teams. Alberta based athletes who wish to be considered for RCA 2013 Teams; most specifically U23 World’s and Junior World Championships are highly encouraged to attend.

While the ARA will not be providing funding assistance to athletes in attending this event, RCA has provided funding to assistance to athletes in years past. In years past RCA has offered financial assistance to athletes who posted a RADAR score of 350 or greater.

The 2013 Development Regatta is open to all interested Canadian athletes. If you wish to attend the 2013 Development Regatta and need assistance in finding boats, accommodation and/or general assistance please email albertarowing@gmail.com. We the ARA can put you in touch with those coaches who are attending.

Upcoming Events

  • Edmonton Boat Race – May 11, 2013
  • 2,000m Erg Submissions Due for CSG Athletes – May 15, 2013