Para-rowers set for first World Cup of 2015

Great Britain’s Tom Aggar, Australia’s Erik Horrie among athletes to watch in the AS male single sculls. 18 Jun 2015
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Tom Aggar

Tom Aggar in action on the River Thames.

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By Fran Brown | For the IPC

The first para-rowing World Cup of 2015 begins Friday (19 June) in Varese, Italy. Racing takes place across four classes: arms and shoulders (AS) single sculls male and female, mixed trunk and arms (TA) double sculls, and leg trunk and arms (LTA) mixed coxed fours.

The AS male single sculls event will field 14 rowers from 13 countries. The lineup includes Australian reigning world champion Erik Horrie, British 2014 World Cup winner and World Championship silver medallist Tom Aggar and Russian World Championship bronze medalist Alexey Chuvashev.

Horrie is among the Australian world champion rowers hitting the waters, joined by 2013 world champions Kathryn Ross and Gavin Bellis; all are making their international debut.

Ross and Bellis headline the mixed TA double sculls event.

The AS female single sculls features Belarus’ London 2012 Paralympic bronze medallist Luidmila Vauchok and Norways’s current world champion Birgit Skarstein. But the most notable absence from the category, however, is Ukraine’s London 2012 gold medallist Alla Lysenko.

Seven nations are entered for the mixed LTA coxed four event, including the reigning world champions Great Britain.

The World Cup runs until Monday (22 June) and gives racers an opportunity to test themselves against a field seeking to qualify for Rio 2016. The next World Cup is from 10-12 July in Lucerne, Switzerland, with the

World Rowing Championships following on 30 August - 6 September in Aiguebelette, France.

For results and live stream of the World Rowing Cup 2, visit http://worldrowing.com.