Ukraine's Roman Polianskyi remains the man to beat after another World Cup win Roman Polianskyi and Great Britain’s mixed coxed four crew were among the Paralympic champions to shine at the first major international regatta of the season held 12-14 May in Gavirate With World Rowing doubling the Para rowing distance to 2,000m the International Para Rowing Regatta especially provided an opportunity for the athletes to test the new distance against tough competition The Regatta featured a unique three-day format that saw the same Para rowing boat classes race twice Friday heats were seeded directly into the Saturday finals followed by redrawn heats leading to Sunday finals Ukraine saw the most success with 11 medals (five golds) led by Rio 2016 men’s single sculls champion Polianskyi finishing ahead of Great Britain’s Andy Houghton by 27.04 and 26.06 seconds on Saturday and Sunday Fellow Ukrainian Iaroslav Koiuda improved his Saturday’s silver medal performance and swapped with Great Britain’s Laurence Whiteley for the top podium on Sunday’s PR2M1x non-Paralympic event Dmytro Ivanov claimed silver after not finishing the day before Whiteley completed the Sunday’s podium with bronze Great Britain secured gold on both days in PR3Mix4+ two new members Emma Todd and Oliver Stanhope joined James Fox and Grace Clough with both returning from the boat that won gold in Rio 2016 Israel’s world champion and Rio 2016 bronze medallist Moran Samuel had a 100 per cent winning record in the women’s single sculls She won the PR1W1x after a close race with Norwegian Birgit Skarstein Germany’s Sylvi Pille-Steppart clinched back-to-back bronze medals A reversal from Rio came in the PR2 mixed double where the Netherlands crew of veteran Paralympian Corne De Koning and newcomer Annika Van Der Meer bested the experienced French duo who had claimed bronze in Rio 2016 and silver in London 2012 Hosts Italy claimed gold and silver in the non-Paralympic event PR3IDMix4+ Complete results from the Gavirate International Para Rowing Regatta can be found on World Rowing’s website Up next is the World Rowing Cup II from 15-18 June in Poznan The Great Britain Gold Medal winning crew of Grace Clough GBR (bow) James Fox GBR and James Olicer (cox) in the LTA Mixed Coxed Four - LTAMix4+ Final A at the Lagoa Stadium The 2017 Para rowing season will kick off on Saturday (13 May) in Gavirate where the first major international regatta will take place More than 100 athletes from around 17 countries will take on the Gavirate International Para Rowing Regatta For many it will be their first time back on a boat since the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and it will also help in their preparations toward the 2017 World Para Rowing Championships set for 24-31 September in Sarasota The regatta will especially give athletes an opportunity to test the new rowing distance which has been extended from 1000m to 2000m following an approval of the rule change at the World Rowing Extraordinary Congress back in February Italy is looking to make an impression on home waters with athletes competing eight boat classes including the Paralympic events: women’s single sculls (PR1W1x) mixed double sculls (PR2Mix2x) and mixed coxed four (PR3Mix4+) Great Britain will send a strong squad including defending Paralympic champion Laurence Whiteley in the PR2Mix2x His partner Lauren Rowles is returning from an injury and will only take part in training New member Emma Todd will join the PR3 Mix 4+ squad of Daniel Brown James Fox and Grace Clough – all three returning from the boat that won gold at Rio 2016 After finishing off the Nordic skiing season dual-athlete Norwegian Birgit Skarstein looks to bounce back from her fourth place performance from Rio 2016 as she headlines the PR1W1x But also looking to rebound is Israel’s world champion Moran Samuel Paralympic champion Roman Polianskyi of Ukraine will be the favourite The regatta will also feature boats from Kenya Full details of the 2017 Gavirate Regratta event can be found at World Rowing’s website and also followed at World Para Rowing's Facebook Page Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA) announced today the Canadian squads selected to compete at 2019 World Rowing Cup events and the Gavirate Para Rowing International Regatta held at the site of RCA’s future National Training Centre on Quamichan lake crews were selected to compete at World Rowing Cup 2 in Poland World Rowing Cup 3 in the Netherlands and the International Para Rowing Regatta hosted in Gavirate Paralympic and World Championship medallists will join forces with Canada’s top high-performance rowers in an effort to fine-tune their racing experience ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic qualifier at the 2019 World Championships at the end of August Many household names and world medalists are nominated amongst RCA’s Women’s Sweep squad looking to confirm crew combinations in the lead up to World Rowing Cup 2 BC) as well as many members of the 2017 and 2018 World Championship silver medal winning Women’s Eights ON) is confirmed as coxswain of the Women’s Eight following her steering of the 2017 and 2018 World Championship Eight as well as the 2016 Paralympic Bronze medal winning team – PR3 Mixed Coxed Four ON) will team up again in the Women’s Double while Ellen Gleadow (Vancouver ON) have been named to the Lightweight Double scull As the reserve for the women’s lightweight sculling program ON) has been named to race the Lightweight Women’s Single Paralympic bronze medallist Andrew Todd (Thunder Bay ON) will partner up with Kyle Fredrickson (Duncan The talented duo stood atop the podium in 2018 as World Champions after first capturing Gold at the 2018 Gavirate Para Rowing International Regatta AB) will race in the PR2 Men’s Single following swift success in the 2018 season including a silver medal at the World Championships and bronze at the Gavirate Para Rowing International Regatta 2012 Olympic silver medallist Will Crothers (Kingston ON) makes a return to the National team and the Men’s Coxed Eight alongside 9-time Olympic coxswain Lesley Thompson-Willie (London Two-time Olympian Conlin McCabe (Brockville ON) is lining up with 2016 Olympian Kai Langerfeld (Vancouver Two-time U23 World Champion Trevor Jones (Peterborough ON) will join up with 2015 Pan Am Games Gold medallist Matt Buie (Duntroon BC) have been named in the Lightweight Men’s Double Scull Maxwell and Patrick finished just off the podium in 2018 with 4th place finishes at both World Rowing Cups 1 and 3 Aaron Lattimer has been named to race the Lightweight Men’s Single as the Men’s Lightweight program’s sculling reserve Rio Olympian and Pan Am Gold medallist Carling Zeeman (Cambridge ON) will compete in the Women’s Single following a bronze medal performance at the 2018 World Cup 3 event in Lucerne “I am very excited to see the quality and depth of our Canadian Crews heading into the Olympic and Paralympic qualification year,” explains Iain Brambell “The athletes and coaches have worked tirelessly throughout the off-season and are ready to launch into the international competitive season.” The Women’s program will compete at both World Rowing Cup 2 and 3 with the Men’s and Para-Rowing programs returning to Canada following World Rowing Cup 2 to prepare for the first opportunity at 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games qualification at the 2019 World Rowing Championships RCA Women’s Program Head Coach Dave Thompson will be joined by Assistant Coach Phil Marshall to support the women’s program while Men’s Head Coach Dick Tonks will be joined by assistant coaches Jeremy Ivey and Terry Paul to support the Men’s program and Women’s Single The Para Rowing program will be led by Head Coach John Wetzstein This year’s Canadian line up at the 2019 Gavirate Para Rowing International Regatta will include RCA’s Next Generation (NextGen) rowers John Wetzstein will support these crews at this event taking place from May 18-19 in Italy “It is amazing to think just one year ago Kyle Fredrickson and Jeremy Hall were attending the 2018 Gavirate regatta as their inaugural international rowing experience,” reflects Brambell “Now as 2018 World Gold and Silver medallists they will be cheering on James and Stuart as these NextGen athletes emerge onto the international scene in pursuit of their own World and Paralympic Games success.” RCA will announce the 2019 World Rowing Championship team following World Rowing Cup 3 in Rotterdam This pinnacle event doubles as an Olympic and Paralympic country qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games Canadian Crews & Squads – World Cup 2 & 3 University of British Columbia Rowing Club University of British Columbia Rowing Club/St *Medical and Performance Clearance required Canadian Umpire Philippe Colas (Quebec) will join the FISA Jury team at World Cup 3 in Rotterdam Sign up today and be the first to receive our news Start Here Resources to help everyone in rowing keep the sport safe and clean and to safeguard participants Safe Sport Resources Competition calendars plus information about entering organising and volunteering at rowing competitions Racing and the popular British Rowing Indoor Championships Indoor Rowing The GB Rowing Team is the high performance arm of British Rowing GB Rowing Team Great Britain rowers were in the medals at the Gavirate International Regatta this weekend with Paralympic champions among those taking wins The PR3 mixed coxed four win at the 2017 Gavirate International Regatta (Photo: Tom Dyson) Rio 2016 gold medallists Grace Clough, James Fox and Laurence Whiteley were among the winners for Great Britain at the Gavirate International Para-rowing Regatta this weekend Whiteley, racing in a single scull in the PR2 classification (formerly TA), took an impressive win in Saturday’s finals, having also won the race for lanes on Friday. He beat Ukraine’s Iaroslav Koiuda by ten seconds in the final, with the event being the first time Para-rowing has been contested over 2,000m Also winning on Saturday were the PR3 (formerly LTA) mixed coxed four, comprising of Emma Tod, Grace Clough, James Fox, Oliver Stanhope and Anna Corderoy They finished 17 seconds ahead of the Ukrainian boat in the first final of the day with Rob Sargent replacing Stanhope’s in the lineup; with an equally convincing margin to Ukraine in second place Andy Houghton in his first international event since 2013 picked up two second-place finishes over the weekend finishing behind Paralympic champion in the PR1 (formerly AS) classification Roman Polianskyi in both finals Whiteley also picked up a third-place finish in Sunday’s PR2 final having won Saturday afternoon’s race for lanes but leaving too little in the tank for the final on Sunday in what was a tough weekend’s racing Order yours now Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Ollie Stanhope believes GB’s mixed coxed four rowers have laid the gauntlet down to their rivals after claiming a second gold in as many days at the Gavirate International Regatta Paralympic champion James Fox and cox Erin Wysocki-Jones in storming past the opposition to win the PR3 mixed coxed four final on the last day of racing on the Italian waters Their time of 7:02.03 was enough to push the Australian quartet into second and the Ukrainian four into third – the same result as 24 hours earlier – to leave the regatta with two gold medals Stanhope said: “Gavirate has been a great start to the racing calendar and it was good to be able to put such a good marker down.” And cox Wysocki-Jones added: “I am really excited by our performances this weekend “I’m looking forward to moving into the training camp now and hopefully finding even more speed.” That mixed coxed four gold was one of three identical results to the regatta’s first races for the British boats as Paralympic gold medallists Lauren Rowles and Laurence Whiteley took another silver in the PR2 mixed double sculls and Ben Pritchard again sealed PR1 men’s single sculls bronze Rowles has missed the last two seasons due to rehab but the British partnership showed plenty of promise in their first races since 2017 as their time of 8:25.06 was again enough for second spot behind the Dutch boat “Winning two silver medals after two years away from racing is incredibly promising,” said Rowles “We came into the regatta with little race experience over 2k and have come out of it with lots of learnings “We are looking forward to building on our performances here and improving for the rest of the season.” the only men to finish ahead of Pritchard in the PR1 single sculls were Paralympic champion Roman Polianskyi from Ukraine and Australian world champion Erik Horrie while fellow Brit Andy Houghton came fifth “It was a tough race for me,” said Pritchard “Having exceeded expectations in the first race I wanted to prove to myself that it was not a fluke “Having a teammate in the lane next to you is always difficult but the plan was to focus on my own race and I did that I’m really happy to finish in third again in such a stacked field.” GB’s rowers will now turn their attention to next month’s World Cup before the World Championship in August – where Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games qualification spots will be up for grabs Picture credit: All Mark One (@allmarkone) The University of Johannesburg (UJ) para-rower, Lifa Hlongwa, has improved his 14th place performance he recorded in the 2022 16th Gavirate International Para-Rowing Regatta in Italy to finishing in 4th position in the 2023 edition. Hlongwa made his first appearance in the same competition in 2022 He moved up by ten places from the 2022 performance Hlongwa represented South Africa in this year’s event with the hopes of making it to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games The result is a good push for me to work even harder I know that I will be even better than how I performed in Italy,” says Hlongwa Hlongwa’s focus is to qualify for the upcoming Paralympic Games in France next year “The Olympic and Paralympic Games are every athlete’s wildest dream and it will be a dream come true to compete at that level,” says Hlongwa Follow UJ Sport on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for daily updates Ukraine’s Roman Polianskyi got his revenge in a rematch of last year’s World Championships at the International Para Rowing Regatta on Sunday in Gavirate The Rio 2016 Paralympic champion showcased tremendous form in his season debut beating out Australia’s Erik Horrie by nearly 19 seconds to win the men’s PT1 single sculls (PR1 M1x) It was a convincing victory for Polianskyi after he lost out on gold to Horrie at the 2018 Worlds in Plovdiv Great Britain’s Ben Pritchard took home the bronze medal Israel’s Moran Samuel was back on top in the women’s PR1 single sculls (PR1 W1x) The 2018 world silver medallist had no trouble winning her category by 16 seconds But there was promise from the Ukrainian side with 18-year-old Anna Sheremet showing promise with the silver medal Germany’s Sylvia Pille Steppat rounded off the top-three The dynamic Dutch duo of Annika van der Meet and Corne de Koning continued their winning ways in the PR2 mix double sculls (PR2 Mix2x) They outlasted the British boat of Lauren Rowles and Lawrence Whiteley France’s Perle Bouge and Christophe Lavigne came in third Great Britain also added on to their success in the PR3 mix coxed four (PR3 Mix4+) The winning crew consisted of Ellen Buttrick Oliver Stanhope and Erin Wysocki-Jones; helping their boat power over Australia and Ukraine Complete results from Gavirate can be found online Next up will be the World Rowing Cup II in Poznan from 21-23 June ahead of August’s World Championships GB Para-rowers win six medals at the Gavirate International Regatta in Northern Italy Laurence Whiteley wins gold at the 2018 Gavirate International Regatta Laurence Whiteley won gold and silver in the PR2 men’s single at the Gavirate International Regatta as Para-rowers from around the world convened in Northern Italy Paralympic champion Whiteley stormed to victory in Saturday’s final His heat on Friday was delayed by a lightning storm over the lake but the sun was shining as he collected his trophy on Saturday morning Whiteley had to settle for silver behind Dutch sculler Corne de Koning who had raced in the PR2 mixed double scull on Saturday Andy Houghton noted his progression from 12 months ago finishing five seconds behind Ukrainian powerhouse Roman Polianskyi in the PR1 single scull in Saturday’s final Paralympic champion Polianskyi defeated Houghton by over 20 seconds in 2017 but was given a closer race in each of the two finals over the weekend Houghton claimed a second silver on Sunday, with rookie Benjamin Pritchard reaching the A final and finishing fifth and sixth in his first international races Ollie Stanhope, world champion in 2017, and Daniel Brown Stanhope and Brown finished behind Canadian pair Andrew Todd and Kyle Fredrickson on both occasions The GB Rowing Team Paralympic squad now embark on a training camp in Varese, with members of the Para-rowing Development Squad experiencing their first overseas camp Paralympic Head Coach for the GB Rowing Team (GBRT) will be taking a mix of new faces and returning Tokyo 2020 Paralympians to race on the Lake of Varese at the Gavirate International Para-Rowing Regatta World and European Championship winning PR3 Mix 4+ boat Ed tells us how he got involved in rowing and how he deals with the pressure of joining this Guinness World Record-holding crew I got involved in rowing at a before-school club where we would get on the rowing machines in the gym This was because due to having Haemophilia I was prevented from doing all the typical school sports such as rugby hockey and football as they were high-impact on my joints which put me at risk of internal bleeding rowing has become a huge part of my life where I’ve met some amazing people and found a sport where I’m not limited by my condition Upon first arriving at Caversham to train full time with the para team the prospect of joining the infamous mixed coxed four was incredibly exciting It’s a boat that has been undefeated for over ten years and now getting to train alongside athletes that are Paralympic and World Champions is an amazing feeling that motivates me daily There is an incredible atmosphere within this team and I can see why it’s been such a successful crew for such a long period of time Looking ahead to the International Para Rowing-Regatta in Gavirate I’m incredibly excited to earn what will be my first vest representing Great Britain I’ll be racing in the PR3 Mix4+ and can’t wait to put our first marker of the Paris cycle down We will be on a training camp for the nine days prior to racing which will be a great opportunity to do some training on the lake before we are sat on the start line it will be a useful event to get our first race of this Paralympic cycle under our belts as we work towards the Paris Paralympics in just over two years’ time Nick Baker said: “Ed and the other new additions to the squad have already gelled so well with our returning Paralympians and I’m looking forward to seeing how the new look team fares in our first races of the new Paris cycle.” Coach: Nick Baker Lauren Rowles Benjamin Pritchard (GBR1) Callum Russell (GBR2) Australia's four-time world champion Erik Horrie competing at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games The rowing season gets underway on Friday 11 May with the Para Rowing International Regatta in Gavirate The opening competition of the year will see some old rivalries renewed on the water The biggest of these comes in the PR1M1x men's single sculls It will pit four-time world champion Australia's Erik Horrie against Paralympic champion Roman Polianskyi from Ukraine The Ukranian stopped Horrie from winning Paralympic gold in Rio 2016 but Horrie took his revenge at the World Championships in Sarasota-Bradenton USA in 2017 beating Polianskyi to the title In the PR2Mix2x which involves a mixed team in a double scull there is an interesting challenge ahead The Paralympic champions are the Great Britain team of Lauren Rowles and Laurence Whiteley However after the Rio Paralympics the race distance was changed from 1000 metres to 2000 metres which the GB team initially struggled with The world title in 2017 went to the Dutch team of Annika Van Der Meer and Corne de Koning who also hold the world record time over the two kilometre distance It will be very exciting to see how these two crews match up this season The PR3Mix4+ which is the race for the mixed coxed fours is a much more straightforward category The crew from Great Britain have dominated this class winning the last three World Championships as well as the Paralympic gold in Rio with new members Giedre Rakauskaite and Oliver Stanhope joining Grace Clough and James Fox they have not lost any of the form that has made them such amazing champions The US team has been second to Great Britain in most of the races in the mixed coxed fours and it will be fascinating to see if they have made up any ground on their very successful rivals in the off season If the PR3Mix4+ is predictable the PR1W1x is definitely not The current world champion in the women's single sculls is Norway's Birgit Skarstein who had no trouble adapting to the new race distance at the Championships last year However she is coming from a disappointing Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang where she failed to medal in the Para cross-country races The two women hoping to capitalise on Skarstein's gruelling schedule are Israel's Moran Samuel who was second at the World Championships and third in the Rio Paralympics and Germany's Sylvia Pille-Steppart who was third behind Skarstein and Moran in America in 2017 The regatta in Gavirate marks the beginning of an exciting season in Para rowing which includes two World Cups in Belgrade Austria and culminates with the World Championships in Plovdiv Tom Aggar of Great Britain racing in the heats of the AS Men's Single Sculls at the 2011 World Rowing Championships in Bled "“Lake was a picture for our racing so far." Great Britain picked up an impressive four gold medals and one bronze at the 2012 Gavirate International Adaptive Regatta from 28-29 April in Italy Trunks Arms Mixed Coxed Four (LTAMix4+) consisting of Pamela Relph James Roe and Lily van den Broecke stormed ahead on both days finishing over 3 seconds ahead of the German team Racing again later today and tomorrow morning All great preparation for #London2012,” Relph tweeted from @pam_relph2012 “Half way through a weekends exciting racing the water is great and the food is perfect Could it get any better,” her teammate Naomi Riches added from @NaomiRiches On Saturday Ireland’s team of Anne Marie McDaid Kevin Dutoit and Helena Arbthunot took bronze “BRONZE for Ireland LTA 4+!!GB & GER ahead I'm to be thrown in now:) @ParalympicsIRE #Paralympic #Rowing,” Arbthunot tweeted shortly after the race from @helen_arbuthnot the Irish team came fifth and the French team Tom Aggar was the clear winner of the men’s Arms and Shoulders Single Scull beating Russia’s Vadim Morozov by two seconds “Round 1 of racing finished this morning in Gavirate First time I've been lead to 750 - had enough to pull through and win by 2seconds,” he tweeted shortly after the race from @TomAggar adding that this was his fastest time ever for this time of the year His coach made the decision not to race him the following day giving China’s Cheng Huang the chance to jump from bronze on Saturday to gold whilst Morozov had to settle for another silver In the women’s Arms and Shoulders Single Scull France’s Nathalie Benoit stole the show on Saturday finishing a clear 10 seconds ahead of Brazil’s Claudia Santos in second place Israel’s Moran Samuel took bronze on Saturday France’s Perle Bouge and Stephane Tardieu took gold on both days Australia won two silvers –with Kathryn Ross and Gavin Bellis on Saturday and Ross and John MacLean on Sunday MacLean took bronze in the Single Scull race on Saturday whilst Bellis took the same medal on Sunday The Single Scull was won by Great Britain’s Nick Beighton on Saturday who had taken bronze with Iryna Kyrychenko in Saturday’s Double Scull Kevin Du Toit (s) and Helen Arbuthnot (c) of Ireland Rowing Teamat the 2011 World Rowing Championships in Bled Claudia Santos of Brazil before the start of the heats of the AS Women's Single Sculls at the 2011 World Rowing Championships in Bled The Italian LTA Mixed Coxed Four team racing at the 2011 World Rowing Championships in Bled “We literally just had the trials on home water hard block of training all the way through since January to get the best preparation for the summer.” In the first international race of the year over 70 rowers from 17 countries will meet in Italy for the 2012 Gavirate International Adaptive Regatta this weekend (28-29 April) It will be their penultimate chance to qualify for the London 2012 Paralympic Games their final chance coming one week later in the 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup in Belgrade Many of the crews have already met Paralympic qualification criteria but Brazil and Italy will be hoping to make those times in the Legs Trunks and Arms Mixed Coxed Four (LTA Mix 4+) and the Netherlands is attempting to qualify in the Trunk and Arms Mixed Double Sculls (TAMix2x) Australia’s John Maclean is also hoping to qualify in the men’s Trunk and Arms Single Sculls (TAM1x) the current LTA Mix 4+ world champions were up at 4:30 a.m In a taxi to T5 & heading off to our first race of the season GET ME TO THAT START LINE!” tweeted Naomi Riches early Thursday James Roe and coxswain Lily van den Broecke The British LTAMix4+ team will likely face its toughest competition from Germany which came third at last year’s World Championships Regiane Silva and coxswain Mauricio Carlos) as well as Italy’s team (Mahila di Battista Andrea Marcaccini and coxswain Alessandro Franzetti) will aim to paddle themselves to a London Paralympic qualification spot Paralympic gold medallist in men’s singles sculls (ASM1x) will also compete and is expected to dominate his race He will stay on with the British team after the competition to “piggyback” a training camp onto the end of the event hard block of training all the way through since January to get the best preparation for the summer,” he said shortly after returning from a seven-day hand-cycling camp in New York to get away from the waters who came second at last year’s World Championships with Brazil’s Claudia Santos and Poland’s Martyna Snopek likely to push her hardest on the water who set the fastest time for the event two years ago in New Zealand with a mark of 4:03.89 Italy and Great Britain all field top teams The Dutch team of Daniele Stefanoni and Sivia de Maria hopes to also qualify for London in the event Adaptive Rowing is open to male and female athletes and is divided into four boat classes: LTA4+ AW1x and AM1x.The LTA4+ and TA2x are mixed gender boats Races are held over 1,000m in all four events Over 90 athletes will compete in four Rowing medal events at Eton Dorney at the London Paralympics The British LTA mixed coxed four crew at the SAMSUNG World Rowing Cup I 2011 in Munich Rowing was introduced for the first time at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games “We are hoping that this will help with our goal of getting Para rowing into the Pan American / Parapan American Games.” Rowers and coaches from seven nations came together to train fully accessible rowing facilities and site of the upcoming 2017 World Rowing Championships the camp was a coordinated effort by the World Rowing Federation (FISA) USRowing and the International Paralympic Committee’s Agitos Foundation Following the model of the successful annual international Para rowing camp in Gavirate this was also one of the first Agitos Foundation-supported events specifically targeting the sport in North and South America “Having the camp here in the Americas was amazing,” says Rebecca Orr of FISA’s Para rowing Commission who was onsite throughout the camp “Para rowing in the Americas has not been that developed in the past,” Orr continued the United States and Brazil with larger programmes and a few in Mexico but interest is increasing in many other nations.” this was the first time they had been in a rowing boat The combined format was designed so that elite Para rowers from more established teams took to the water alongside and even in the same boats as those new to the sport This created opportunities for rapid improvement and encouragement in the development of the sport “These camps are really about sharing knowledge and learning from one another,” said Ellen Minzner a camp organiser who is also Director of Outreach at Community Rowing Inc USA and coach of USRowing’s Paralympic mixed coxed four “I could really see the value in these types of camps when I went last year [to Gavirate] as a mentor coach “With Para rowers you don’t have a big squad of eights developing rowers and coaches are more on their own than they need to be Along with multiple daily sessions on the water camp rowers and coaches participated in seminars with some world class presenters including Connie Draper who presented analyses of biomechanical data collected throughout the camp Another of the seminars was co-presented by Rob Jones (USA) bronze medallist in the mixed double sculls at the London 2012 Paralympics who has enjoyed an undefeated international career in the mixed coxed four including gold at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympics Another success story of the camp was the multisport environment that led organiser and USRowing Director of Para rowing Tom Darling to create at the Sarasota camp “I met the directors of USA Triathlon and Para Cycling and Nordic and thought it would be good to combine them for a camp,” Darling said The fully accessible nature of the facilities at Nathan Benderson Park made hosting such an integrated event possible Darling said he sees it as a good sign of things to come not just for Para rowing the camp finished off with a 2000m regatta – the new standard racing distance for Para rowers More information can be found on World Rowing’s website The Zimbabwean para LTA coxed four training in Gavirate Zimbabwe has become a regular on the entry lists for World Rowing events who made the B-final at the 2015 World Rowing Championships rowing fans have started to take note of this emerging nation But Zimbabwe had never fielded a Para rowing boat Davis decided to launch Para rowing in Zimbabwe and made a call for people with impairments to come to the school where she teaches physical education and to give it a go Through her recruiting efforts Davis managed to find three suitable candidates for Para rowing They fitted into the classification for the Para mixed coxed four But she needed a fourth to complete her boat and have a chance at qualifying for the Paralympic Games in Rio this September That is when she noticed that her fellow physical education teacher had a slight limp “I think she was a bit scared to ask me,” said Takudzwa Gwariro said Davis admits she had to muster up the courage to ask how he got his injury and then to ask if he would be interested in Para rowing Gwariro had a rugby accident that left him with nerve damage in his right foot and after several rounds of classification Davis was finally convinced that he would be eligible for the Para mixed coxed four The team had three weeks to train before leaving for a pre-Paralympic qualification camp in Gavirate Davis admits it was all quite a shock and the foray into coaching Para rowing was not easy at first “I had never worked with disabled people before and I didn’t know what to expect,” Davis said I should make exceptions because she doesn’t have a leg or a foot The three weeks of training were hard for these first-time rowers but as all of them had participated in other sports “The biggest challenge has been meeting expectations in such a short space of time,” Gwariro says Margret and Previous were both wheelchair racers So we were all worlds apart in terms of what we did But coming together and trying to do well is pretty hard in the short space of time that we had to do it in.” For Gwariro the biggest difference in rowing is precision you still have to be accountable to your team and you still have to be dependent on your team and your team is dependent on you,” Gwariro said but definitely the biggest difference is precision.” Davis says that her crew has come a long way “Sometimes there is a misconception that people from Zimbabwe or other developing countries are weaker,” Davis said While the Zimbabwean team did not manage to qualify through the Final Paralympic Qualification Regatta they were offered one of the bipartite invitations to the Rio Paralympic Games Sport fans from around the world can now buy their Paralympic tickets for Rio 2016 from authorised ticket resellers (ATRs) and Rio 2016 tickets and packages can be purchased on the CoSport website Residents of Brazil can buy 2016 Paralympics tickets directly from the Rio 2016 website When the World Rowing Championships begin on Sunday (30 August) in Aiguebelette the para-rowing events will see more boats than usual on the water giving a positive sign in the direction of the sport Seventy boats overall have entered in the four events on the Paralympic programme It will be the largest number of entries at the World Championships in the Paralympic boat classes since the sport was added to the Paralympic programme for the 2008 Games The entries include: 15 in the AS women’s single sculls 14 in the TA mixed double sculls and 17 in the LTA mixed coxed four In previous Paralympic qualification years the 2007 and 2011 World Championships saw 62 boats and 57 boats entered World Rowing credited part of the growth back to the para-rowing training camp held 7-17 May in Gavirate The 10-day camp was a combined effort by several stakeholders to encourage the participation of new nations that had not yet participated in para-rowing at World Championships Funded by the World Rowing Federation (FISA) and the IPC’s development arm Agitos Foundation the camp was facilitated by the Italian Rowing Federation (FIC) and also received the support of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) “The Italian Rowing Federation considered it important to help FISA with the para-rowing training camp in the context of the development programme,” said President of the FIC Giuseppe Abbagnale we offered the assistance of two coaches who worked in synergy with the Gavirate rowing club and [Italy-based member of FISA’s Para Rowing Commission] Paola Grizzetti’s experience helping developing countries to learn training techniques and being involved in the rowing world by participating for the first time in an international regatta.” No fewer than five athletes in the AS men’s single sculls who attended the training camp will line up at their first World Championships They come from the Czech Republic; Hong Kong Austria will be sending their first para-crew to a World Championships after having taken part in the training camp the camp’s 10-day programme covered topics such as boat rigging athlete selection for the appropriate boat classes an overview of para-rowing classifications and how to develop a national para-rowing programme The Gavirate Rowing Club made its facilities coaches and boats (including boats recruited from Filippi The club also coordinated all of the activities in the lead up to the camp Club volunteers also attended to the various needs of the athletes and coaches present The European-based training centre of the Australian Institute of Sport hosted the accommodation Grizzetti and Shirley Stokes from Australia acted as the main coordinators of the camp “We really hope these developing national federations can bring some new expertise and what they have learned [back] to their countries,” Abbagnale said [we hope they will] join permanently the world of rowing for the global growth of our sport and to show how much a disabled person can do giving everyone a better vision of their life.” Competition will be fierce as only the eight highest ranking boats in each category in Aiguebelette will qualify for the 2016 Paralympic Games at the final Paralympic Qualification Regatta a further two boats in each event will be given a last chance to qualify The World Rowing Championships run until 6 September. Live results of all races and video stream of the A and B finals (3 September) can be found on World Rowing website. The final opportunity for nations to qualify for rowing at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games begins Thursday (21 April) The Paralympic Qualification Regatta runs until Saturday (23 April) with spots available in four events – AS women’s single sculls (ASW1x) TA mixed double sculls (TAMix2x) and LTA mixed coxed four (LTAMix4+) The top two boats in each event will qualify for their nation The competition will be followed by the International Para-Rowing Regatta (22-24 April) trunk and arms mixed coxed fours (LTAMix4+) Entries in the LTAMix4+ include the Chinese crew who previously placed fourth at the London 2012 Paralympic Games In the absence of the top-three ranked crews from London they will look to post a dominating performance to ensure their selection Australia and Brazil were on pace to qualify during the 2015 World Championships B-final but were just seconds from a top-eight finish From the 2015 World Championships in Aiguebelette nations that had already qualified slots in the LTAMix4+ are: Great Britain The men’s arms only race will be highly contested with 16 entries including China’s London 2012 gold medallist Cheng Huang and South Korea’s Jan-Ha Park Park could not hold off a late burst from Italy’s Fabrizio Caselli during the 2015 World Championship B-finals finishing third; the top two boats from the B-finals joined the top six finishers from the A-finals from the 2015 World Championships With Australia’s current world champion Erik Horrie absent having secured a slot for his nation in Aiguebelette the Gavirate regatta provides the opportunity for another athlete to demonstrate his form prior to the Paralympic Games Brazil and Italy have all qualified boats in the ASM1x following top-eight performances in the 2015 World Championships All three of the podium athletes from the 2015 World Championships – Israel’s Moran Samuel Great Britain’s Rachel Morris and Norway’s Birgit Skarstein – are absent having already qualified for their nations South Africa and the USA have also qualified boats in this race the women’s single sculls race is expected to be very open with no clear favourite South Korea’s Sejeong Kim took third in last year’s B-final race but will be looking to make up for that this week The trunk and arms mixed sculls event sees Italian Daniele Stafanoni who placed sixth at the London 2012 Paralympics aiming for qualification for Rio with new rowing partner Anila Hoxha With none of the 2015 World Championships A-final crews attending this will be another open race presenting crews with the best opportunity possible to secure final qualification places for Rio seeking to join qualified nations Australia More information on the Paralympic Qualification Regatta can be found on World Rowing’s website Great Britain’s PR2 mixed double took silver while Ben Pritchard took bronze in the PR1 men’s single sculls Great Britain’s PR3 mixed coxed four continued their dominant display at Gavirate International Regatta taking the win over their nearest rivals Australia in second who is racing at Gavirate for the first time said: “Last year I was watching the team compete at this regatta as a development athlete having never rowed in the four I am so excited to be part of such a powerful crew as we head towards Paralympic boat qualification later this summer.” Gold was immediately followed by silver, with GB’s PR2 mixed double of Laurence Whiteley and Lauren Rowles taking second Whiteley said: “This morning was a positive one for us We haven’t raced together since 2017 so it was about getting out there and enjoying the racing It’s been great to see what we can do together again.” It was pure delight for Ben Pritchard who found himself on the podium, picking up bronze in the PR1 men’s single sculls, behind Paralympic champion, Roman Polianskyi who took gold and World champion, Erik Horrie who took silver. Great Britain’s Andy Houghton took fourth place in a well fought final Pritchard said: “This morning was incredible as I got to share the podium with a Paralympic and World Champion It was the first time I have really proved myself and that the winter miles have been worth it It was also great to race Andy to the line and I am looking forward to going again in tomorrow’s second final.” The Great Britain crews all returned to the water later that afternoon for the second round of racing and both PR1 men’s singles won their respective heats with GB’s PR2 mixed double sculls taking second spot All crews will race in tomorrow’s A finals You can follow the racing on the live stream: www.raisport.rai.it Italy celebrates autumn with pumpkin festivals Discover the most delicious and fun events across the country With the arrival of autumn and the crisp air Italy transforms into warm hues and rich flavors pumpkin festivals are among the most beloved These festivals offer a unique experience filled with traditional pumpkin-based dishes Discover the best pumpkin festivals happening in October 2024 Thanks to its numerous varieties of this delicious vegetable Italy is a prime location for tasting and savoring pumpkin Autumn festivals in Italy are also the perfect opportunity to learn more about the typical products of Italian regions Italy’s pumpkin festivals have become must-attend events for autumn weekends We have selected the most fascinating and popular ones you shouldn't miss between October and November in Italy One of the most anticipated and iconic celebrations in Italy is the Pumpkin Festival of Venzone located in the beautiful region of Friuli Venezia Giulia are transformed into a spectacular journey back in time immersing them in the enchanting atmosphere of this perfectly preserved village But this village is more than just a tourist destination: it’s a symbol of rebirth and strength meticulously rebuilt after the devastating earthquake of 1976 and enjoy the extraordinary atmosphere that attracts visitors from all over Italy every year Highlights of the Venzone Pumpkin Festival: -Medieval Market: Step back in time with a traditional craft market -Pumpkin Carving Contest: A competitive display of skill and creativity with incredible pumpkin sculptures Dorno hosts the Bertagnina Pumpkin Festival an event that celebrates this particular variety of pumpkin typical of the Lomellina region Pumpkin cultivation in this area has deep roots thanks to the natural characteristics that allow for optimal growth the Bertagnina pumpkin was predominantly grown a variety that was especially appreciated and whose name seems to derive from the dialect term "bartò" or "bartòl," referring to the traditional farmers' cap The bumps on the lower part of the pumpkin symbolically resemble the shape of this hat linking agricultural tradition to local folklore the festival offers an authentic experience with markets Highlights of The Bertagnina Pumpkin Festival: -Bertagnina Cake: A traditional sweet made with pumpkin and jam -Pumpkin Risotto Feast: One of the main attractions with over 60 kg of risotto served to participants Rocchetta di Cengio will host the 20th edition of Pumpkin in the Square a celebration of biodiversity and the traditions of the Val Bormida region Organized by the Slow Food Community of Val Bormida tastings of typical pumpkin-based dishes like risottos and soups and a themed dinner called "Pumpkin in Bloom." During the event and enjoy entertainment like music and performances -Themed Dinner: A dinner featuring pumpkin dishes paired with edible flowers -Cooking Shows: Culinary demonstrations dedicated to pumpkin the traditional Gavirate Pumpkin Festival returns Famous for offering pumpkin in every imaginable dish visitors of all ages flock to Gavirate each year to savor a wide range of local pumpkin-based dishes while enjoying the serene lake views An ideal stop for food lovers looking to enjoy a day outdoors this event is part of the larger "Autumn Flavors" festival and attracts visitors of all ages who are eager to taste a variety of pumpkin dishes From risottos and polenta to sweets like cakes and tarts pumpkin is featured in every imaginable form the festival includes themed activities such as workshops making the event perfect for families and food lovers alike Guests can enjoy the peaceful views of Lake Varese combining the pleasure of food with the beauty of nature It’s an ideal experience for those seeking a relaxing outdoor day filled with seasonal flavors and local traditions Highlights of the Gavirate Pumpkin Festival: -Pumpkin Polenta: A unique twist on the classic Lombard dish combining the creaminess of pumpkin with traditional polenta At the top of the list is the Pumpkin Festival of Foiano della Chiana hosts one of Italy’s most beloved autumn festivals where the pumpkin takes center stage in both food and art Italy's largest pumpkins compete in a spectacular contest with numerous stands in the historic center offering farm-to-table products and traditional Tuscan dishes such as pumpkin soup and tarts Highlights of Pumpkin Festival of Foiano della Chiana: -Giant Pumpkin Contest: A competition featuring Italy’s largest pumpkins -Typical Dishes: Tastings of pumpkin-based dishes at various food stands in the historic center -Artistic Installations: Stroll through streets adorned with magnificent pumpkin sculptures or just looking for a fun seasonal activity these pumpkin festivals should definitely be on your calendar Plan your visit to one of these festivals and let yourself be enchanted by the magic of autumn in Italy I live immersed in the pages of the books I read while I gaze with curious eyes at the world's beauties Subscribe to our weekly Newsletter dedicated to the Italian culture Check your email to confirm your subscription and receive special offers Top Attractions Colosseum Santa Maria Maggiore Vatican Museum Uffizi Gallery Pompeii Ruins Milan Cathedral Pantheon Vesuvius Florence Cathedral Sant'Angelo Castle Doge Palace Verona Arena Experiences Positano,Sorrento&Pompeii Tour Chianti Tour& San Gimignano Lake Como from Milan Romantic Sunset Boat Tour in Naples Capri Private Motorboat Tour Private Electric Cart Tour in Rome Abruzzo Basilicata Calabria Campania Emilia Romagna Friuli Venezia Giulia Lazio Liguria Lombardy Marche Molise Piedmont Apulia Sardinia Sicily Tuscany Trentino-Alto Adige Umbria Aosta Valley Veneto 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effectively Clearinghouse for SportProvides high quality information Information and resources for Scientific and Medical Community Concussion in SportEvidence based information for athletes AIS position statement and best practice guidelinesEvidence-informed position statements on frontiers of sports science and sports medicine This month the Australian Institute of Sport’s (AIS) European Training Centre (ETC) hosted some of the world’s leading sporting medical minds with the International National Olympic Committee (INOC) Chief Medical Officers (CMO) Group gathering in Gavirate Starting as an informal online gathering of like-minded national CMOs during the peak of the pandemic the group continued to meet in the lead-up to the Tokyo and Beijing Games to discuss the complex medical issues relating to all Olympic and Paralympic events The key objectives of this group include facilitating information sharing and cross-pollination of new ideas reducing duplication of effort in formulating medical strategies strengthening networks for accessing care for athletes travelling internationally and providing peer-to-peer support for CMOs from multiple nations with more than a dozen countries represented alongside the CMO for the Paris 2024 Organising Committee (OCOG) and a medical representative from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) AIS Chief Medical Officer Dr David Hughes said: “The members of the group found the collegial support to be hugely beneficial in the lead up to and during all Games and the meeting in Gavirate was designed to ensure that the benefits of this group continue “With the presence of the Paris 2024 OCOG CMO and IOC Medical & Scientific Department we were able to discuss the plans and key challenges ahead and formulate plans for how this group will interact with the IOC and ensure that other nations can benefit from the outputs “There is great optimism that the work of this group will improve the efficiency and thoroughness of Games medical planning and as a result ensure quality medical care for athletes,” added Dr Hughes The visiting delegates were also treated to a tour of the ETC infrastructure led by AIS and ETC staff “The delegates were impressed with the quality of the facility in addition to the extraordinary professionalism and ‘can-do’ attitude of the AIS and ETC staff,’’ said Dr Hughes Former King’s Head of Boats (2013/14) OV Alex Wenyon (Cr 07-14) and former KSWBC coach Giedre Rakauskaite won a spectacular gold at the Gavirate International Para Regatta this month as part of the PR3 Mixed Coxed 4+ representing GB their winning race on the Lake of Varese also set a new world’s best time “It was a fantastic weekend at Gavirate for the whole Para squad We were so excited to get racing; for some it was their first race since the Paralympic Games last year “With a fresh-look team we picked up five gold medals two silvers and a bronze: a great start for the next Paralympic cycle I wish the team the best of luck at the first World Cup of the season in Belgrade next weekend!” “Congratulations on this fantastic performance Alex has firmly established herself as an incredible cox where she was a very keen and active member of the Boat Club and the 1st VIII Comprising of fifteen footballers from the Isuzu UTE A-League Men competition and nine overseas-based players this is Tony Vidmar’s first squad since being appointed Subway Olyroos’ Head Coach with the camp to be held at the Australian Institute of Sport European Training Centre located in Gavirate The Subway Olyroos have an important seven months ahead with the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™ Qualifiers scheduled for 4 – 12 September 2023 the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™ in early 2024 (dates to be confirmed by AFC) which double as Paris 2024 Olympics™ qualifiers “We have selected an exciting squad of 24-players for this camp in Italy which is reward for their strong performances in the A-League Men’s competition and their respective club sides overseas,” explained Vidmar we only have a small window of time to prepare for our AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers with this camp being one of only two we will have prior to September this time at the Australian Institute of Sport European Training Centre will be an important opportunity for the players we’ve not seen for some time to impress the coaching staff for future selection,” said Vidmar the Subway Olyroos will play two friendly matches against quality opposition in the form of the Switzerland U-20 national team in Bellinzona 24 March (7.00pm local time) and Serie B outfit “Holding this camp in Europe has provided us with the opportunity to organise two matches against top-level competition which we need when you consider it’s almost nine months since the Olyroos last played together,” said Vidmar “Being able to give all players the chance to test themselves against quality teams is important leading into the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers in September and the AFC U-23 Asian Cup early next year which double as Paris 2024 Olympic Qualifiers,” concluded Vidmar The Subway Olyroos will come together again from 2 – 18 June when they contest the Maurice Revello Tournament 2023 in Aix-en-Provence This event features twelve U-23 national men’s teams from five Confederations where it’s expected that Australia will play at least four matches across the 16-days providing ideal tournament preparation ahead of the September qualifiers The draw for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™ qualifiers is set to take place in May SUBWAY OLYROOS’ SQUAD l ITALY TRAINING CAMP l 20 – 28 MARCH 2023 Gawler Eagles FC (Football South Australia) West Torrens Birkalla SC (Football South Australia) Adelaide Comets FC (Football South Australia) **Replaced Viking FK's Patrick Yazbek on 20 March 2023 who has withdrawn due to injury.