Elite Development Programme Announced
Rowing NZ’s focus remains firmly on the planning and preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to be hosted in 2021, however the 12 month delay in hosting the Olympic Games has resulted in a three year Olympic cycle for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games - beginning in 2021.
Focus must also be placed upon the development of pathway athletes that will be central to Rowing NZ’s Paris 2024 campaign. Rowing NZ are committed to providing pathway athletes with the level of support required to reach elite level rowing, and exposure to the level of training and competition experienced at an elite level.
As such, an Elite Development programme has been introduced to provide such support and experience to athletes who have demonstrated the physical and mental performance capability, and the potential to thrive under a transition training programme. The Elite Development programme will be based at Lake Karapiro, with athletes frequently training alongside Rowing NZ’s Summer Squad under the guidance of Rowing NZ’s Elite coaching team.
Selection into the Elite Development programme will be based upon standard performance measures as documented in Rowing NZ Selection Policy (including erg testing through winter programmes and on-water performances at an upcoming Development Regatta), alongside athlete’s individual training and competition history, including both domestic and international campaigns. Selection will be at the sole discretion of the elite selectors with no automatic qualifying standards, but there is an expectation that any athlete vying for selection into the Elite Development programme will meet or exceed the following benchmarks in order to be considered:
| Women | Men | |
| 2000m | 6:53min | 5:55min |
| 5000m | 17:59min | 15:50min |
Rowing NZ will host a Development Regatta from 26 September - 2 October at Lake Karapiro. This event, combined with the erg tests conducted throughout the RPC winter programme will provide an opportunity for athletes to gain selection into the Elite Development programme.
Rowing NZ are pleased to announce that after exceeding elite selector’s expectations in relation to physical and mental performance capability, combined with their development through previous campaigns, Charlotte Spence and Dan Williamson have been invited to join the Elite Development programme ahead of the Development Regatta. Charlotte and Dan were both named in the 2020 Rowing NZ U23 Team earlier this year and have continued to significantly develop their capability post trials, and demonstrated the resilience expected of elite level athletes throughout the uncertainty that COVID-19 presented.