Australia’s Elite Rowers Focus on Los Angeles 2028 After Paris Olympics
With the underwhelming performance at the Paris Olympics now a distant memory, Australia’s top rowers are turning their attention to the upcoming Los Angeles Games. The national championships in Tasmania will serve as a crucial step in their preparations, with athletes competing for spots in the national selection regatta at Lake Barrington.
The event, which kicks off on Monday, brings together more than 2000 rowers from across the country, all vying for a chance to represent Australia on the international stage. The competition spans a week and is seen as a vital opportunity for athletes to showcase their skills and secure a place in future events.
One of the key figures in this process is Angus Dawson, a two-time Olympian who was part of the Australian team that competed in Paris. The team’s performance there was its worst since 1988, with only a single bronze medal to show for their efforts. However, Dawson believes that the changes implemented following a post-Games review have already started to make a positive difference.
Former national head coach Chris O’Brien, known as COB, was appointed last year to lead the men’s program based in Canberra. His experience and fresh perspective have been welcomed by many athletes, including Dawson, who emphasized the importance of having a new set of eyes on the program.
“It was a big review after Paris and the disappointing results on our end, but I think they’ve done a good sweep from then,” Dawson said. “COB has had so much experience in the past as well that I think just sort of getting a fresh set of eyes on it, and then also with a pretty big turnover in athletes, it’s definitely freshened the place up a bit and given us a bit of a clean slate.”
Dawson has been a part of the coxed men’s eight in both Tokyo and Paris, where the team finished last in the final. He also played a key role in the unbeaten varsity eight at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned a rowing scholarship.
Now, Dawson will be part of the South Australian eight in the prestigious Kings Cup, which marks the conclusion of the regatta. In addition to this, he will compete in the men’s pair alongside dual Olympic medallist Alex Hill. The duo aims to replicate their recent success at the ACT championships and potentially qualify for the world championships in Amsterdam in August.
Hill, 33, was a member of the coxless four crew that won silver in Rio and gold at the Tokyo Olympics. Both Dawson and Hill are members of the Adelaide rowing club and have previously tasted success at Lake Barrington, located south of Devonport.
“We’ve just been enjoying rowing together with good mates, so having fun there and we’ve got nationals and obviously trials in sort of a month’s time, so you never really knows from there,” Dawson said. “Last time we actually rowed together properly was around this time five years ago, which we were in Barrington as well and we actually won so we’re going back for a repeat if we can.”
