Selectors get down to business
North Island selector looks at individual rowing performances at Maadi to select 40 students for the trials.
Finals are the busiest days for the rowing selectors who have to have a list of candidates ready by Saturday afternoon.
All day Friday, Kaye Surgenor and Mark James , South and North Island selectors, have been following the results of the regatta with some extra attention.
They have already selected 80 U18 athletes, but the number will be narrowed downed to 40 by the end of the A finals.
James, who’s been a selector for three years, describes the process. “We go over some older results over the summer, to see what they have achieved, and looking where they are at the A finals.
“We are generally looking at the smaller boats, because they are more of a proving ground for their own ability at this regatta. Primarily we are looking to see the individual perform well.”
Individual rowers that get picked will be put in a bigger group and boat.
The rowers will do some seat racing for the selectors as well as a 2km test on the ergs.
“Pretty tough stuff. They are expected to show us the race, but on the machine, working as hard as they can,” said Mark.
Not only young rowers have to compete, there’s a fair bit of competition going on between South and North Islands.
“[I] would really like to beat the South Island this year. They have beaten us three years in a row,” James said.
The final list of selected rowers will be approved and put up on website by the end of the regatta on Saturday.
