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history of australian rowing at world championships

1981 World Championships- Munich Germany

Men's Four

Men's Four

bow Graham Jones, 2 Jim Battersby, 3 Tim Willoughby & str John Bentley

Selection

The new selectors for the 1984 Olympiad were Bruce Evans, Willy Hay and Islay Lee. Reinhold Batschi, the National Director of Coaching was appointed Chairman of Selectors. Even though in 1980 for the Olympic team there were some compulsory selection events at State Championships, the selection process was far more highly developed for the forthcoming four-year period. It was to a large degree the forerunner of our existing selection policy. The selections were based on small boat racing and were reasonably clear cut.

The team left Australia early to compete in lead up regattas in Europe. The lightweight four and the heavyweight coxed four combined to row in an eight in the Aarungen Regatta just out of Oslo Sweden. At the same regatta the lightweight four rowed in their event and won in 6.09, the fastest time a lightweight four had then ever rowed.

The highlight of the tour was the win by the lightweight four. The win in the final followed wins in the heat and semi-final.

The men's coxed four had a good start with a second placing in the heat, a win in the repechage but unfortunately a sixth place in the final. The men's coxed four had two people training in Adelaide during the week and joining the rest of the crew in Sydney on weekends. This crew swept through the lead up regattas undefeated and went to Munich widely tipped as silver medallists.

For the coach Mike Morgan and his crew it was shattering to be struggling in sixth place in the final after very good preliminary racing and very good performances in the heats and repechages.

The Manager for this Olympiad was Don Croot who was the Assistant General Manager of the 1968 New Zealand Olympic team. Bill Webb was the Medical Officer and from this point forward every Australian heavyweight team took medical support.

Index to Results on this Page
M1x M2x M4x    
M2- M2+ M4- M4+ M8
W1x W2x W4x+    
W2-     W4+ W8
ML1x ML2x      
    ML4-   ML8

Results—Women's

Women's Single Scull

Final B: 7th FRA, 8th USA, 9th POL, 10th IRL, 11th SWE, 12th MEX
Final: 1st ROM, 2nd GBR, 3rd URS, 4th GDR, 5th NZL, 6th BUL

Women's Double Scull

Final B: 7th FRG, 8th NOR, 9th DEN, 10th HUN, 11th TCH, 12th YUG
Final: 1st URS, 2nd GDR, 3rg BUL, 4th ROM, 5th USA, 6th GBR

Women's Coxed Quad Scull

Final B: 7th POL, 8th USA, 9th NOR
Final: 1st URS, 2nd GDR, 3rd ROM, 4th HUN, 5th BUL, 6th DEN

Women's Coxless Pair

Final B: 7th NED, 8th AUS, 9th USA
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd CAN, 3rd ROM, 4th BUL, 5th POL, 6th URS

Women's Coxed Four

Final B: 7th NED, 8th GBR
Final: 1st URS, 2nd GDR, 3rd USA, 4th BUL, 5th ROM, 6th FRG

Women's Eight

Final: 1st URS, 2nd USA, 3rd ROM, 4th CAN, 5th GDR, 6th GBR

Australian Team

Men's Lightweight Single Scull - Eleventh
Steve Spurling (VIC)
Cch: Rusty Robertson (NSW)

Men's Lightweight Double Scull - Eleventh
Bow: Phil Gardiner (VIC)
Str: Peter Antonie (VIC)
Cch: Rusty Robertson (NSW)

Men's Lightweight Four - Gold
Bow: Graham Gardiner (NSW)
2: Charles Bartlett (VIC)
3: Clyde Hefer (NSW)
Str: Simon Gillett (VIC)
Cch: Rusty Robertson (NSW)

Men's Coxed Four - Sixth
Bow: Graham Jones (NSW)
2: Jim Battersby (NSW)
3: Tim Willoughby (SA)
Str: John Bentley (SA)
Cox: Michael Sim (VIC)
Cch: Michael Morgan (NSW)

Women's Coxless Pair - Eighth
Bow: Jacqui Marshall (VIC)
Str: Pam Westendorf (VIC)
Cch: David Palfreyman (VIC)

Manager: Don Croot (NSW)
Doctor: Bill Webb (NSW)
Selectors: Reinhold Batschi (Chairman), Bruce Evans (NSW), William Hay (SA) and Islay Lee (NSW).

Results—Men's

Men's Single Scull

Final B: 7th TCH,8th URS, 9th SWE, 10th SUI, 11th YUG, 12th FRA
Final: 1st FRG, 2nd GDR, 3rd USA, 4th GBR, 5th ARG, 6th NZL

Men's Double Scull

Final B: 7th URS, 8th FRG, 9th NZL, 10th USA, 11th BUL, 12th AUT
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd FIN, 3rd NOR, 4th TCH, 5th POL, 6th SUI

Men's Quad Scull

Final B: 7th ESP, 8th GBR, 9th POL, 10th HUN, 11th YUG, 12th BUL
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd URS, 3rd FRA, 4th FRG, 5th TCH, 6th ITA

Men's Coxless Pair

Final B: 7th ROM, 8th TCH, 9th GBR, 10th FRG, 11th USA, 12th AUT
Final: 1st URS, 2nd NED, 3rd ITA, 4th GDR, 5th YUG, 6th CAN

Men's Coxed Pair

Final B: 7th FRG, 8th DEN, 9th FIN, 10th BEL, 10th AUT
Final: 1st ITA, 2nd GDR, 3rd GBR, 4th TCH, 5th BUL, 6th URS

Men's Coxless Four

Final B: 7th FRG, 8th NED, 9th DEN, 10th GBR, 11th POL, 12th FRA
Final: 1st URS, 2nd SUI, 3rd GDR, 4th TCH, 5th ROM, 6th ESP

Men's Coxed Four

Final B: 7th FRG, 8th POL, 9th BUL, 10th HUN, 11th CHI
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd USA, 3rd URS, 4th TCH, 5th GBR, 6th AUS

Men's Eight

Final B: 7th NZL, 8th FRA
Final: 1st URS, 2nd GBR, 3rd USA, 4th GDR, 5th FRG, 6th TCH

Men's Lightweight Single Scull

Final B: 7th FRG, 8th ESP, 9th GBR, 10th POL, 11th AUS, 12th FIN
Final: 1st USA, 2nd AUT, 3rd CAN, 4th ITA, 5th SUI, 6th SWE

Men's Lightweight Double Scull

Final B: 7th AUT, 8th FRG, 9th JPN, 10th ESP, 11th AUS, 12th BEL
Final: 1st ITA, 2nd USA, 3rd DEN, 4th SUI, 5th SWE, 6th GBR

Men's Lightweight Four

Final B: 7th IRL, 8th USA, 9th ITA, 10th ESP, 11th GBR, 12th SUI
Final: 1st AUS 6.22.32; 2nd HOL, 3rd CAN, 4th DEN, 5th FRG, 6th NOR

Men's Lightweight Eight

Final: 1st DEN, 2nd ITA, 3rd ESP, 54th CAN, 5th USA, 6th FRA

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