Para rowers take on World Cup in Poznan

World champions Erik Horrie, Moran Samuel are among those to watch in Poland. 17 Jun 2016
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Tom Aggar

Tom Aggar in action on the River Thames.

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By Fran Brown and IPC

Reigning Paralympic and world champion Erik Horrie will try to re-assert his dominance in the men’s single sculls (ASM1x) following an injury in January. At the 2016 World Rowing Cup held 16-19 June in Poznan, Poland, the Australian will face stiff competition from Great Britain’s’ Tom Aggar and Ukraine’s’ Igor Bondar, who placed second and third respectively at the 2015 World Champiosnhips.

The World Cup in Poznan is the third of the season, but the first for Para rowers. About 45 Para athletes are taking to the waters in Lake Malta, looking to gain form ahead of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

The women’s defending world champion Moran Samuel will be the one to chase after and outstanding 2015 season. Great Britain’s Rachel Morris finished behind the Israeli at the 2015 Worlds in Aiguebelette, France, by two seconds. Norway’s Brigit Skarstein, who took bronze in Aiguebelette, will also try to close the gap with Samuel. All three rowers have maintained podium performances in World Cup events since 2012.

The LTA mixed coxed four (LTAMix4+) will feature the Great British world champion crew that hopes to demonstrate their continuing dominance having, set a world best time in 2015. The crew consists of Daniel Brown, Pamela Relph, Grace Clough, James Fox and cox Oliver James, who all set a world’s best time of 3:13.76 back at a World Cup last year in Varese, Italy.

In the TA mixed double sculls (TAMix2x), the Australian pair of Gavin Bellis and Kathryn Ross have their eyes on Rio 2016 and look to maintain the form that brought them gold at the 2015 World Championships.

More information on the World Rowing Cup in Poznan, including a live tracker, can be found on World Rowing’s website.