Row: Mixed fortunes for Australia's rowers in Athens

AAP General News (Australia)
08-30-2004
Row: Mixed fortunes for Australia's rowers in Athens

Rowing Australia will have plenty to think about as it overhauls its coaching program
in the wake of a disappointing and controversial Olympic campaign.

Rowers were hoping the 2004 Games would spark a return to the glory days of the 1990s,
when the Oarsome Foursome reigned and Australia collected two golds per Games.

But the sport picked up four instead of its predicted five to six medals.

The regatta ended on a sour note when exhaustion forced 23-year-old women's eight crew
member SALLY ROBBINS to stop rowing mid-race, sparking public criticism from her teammates.

Before Athens, Rowing Australia was already planning to re-structure the coaching team
by appointing an overall national director instead of men's and women's head coaches.

Once the director has been appointed, the task of reviewing the team's performance
in Athens will begin.

AAP RTV jb/nh/rca

KEYWORD: OLY ROW AUST (ATHENS)

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