Lausanne: In the year of the Summer Olympic Games, the Olympic Athletes are getting recognised by the International Federations. In line with that, the World Rowing Federation recognized best crew, best para crew, best coaching performances and Distinguished Services of the year.
The awards which base this year on Rio 2016 Olympic performances is an annual recognition drive of the World Rowing Federation, FISA, wherein it recognises the outstanding performances of the past year.
So, let’s see who got what this year at the World Rowing Awards:
2016 Female Crew of the Year: Magdalena Fularczyk-Kozlowska and Natalia Madaj, in the event Women’s Double Sculls (Poland)
This crew got the first-ever World Rowing Award for women for Poland for leading the way for rowing in Poland, especially for women’s version. Coming into the 2016, the two Rowers had their fourth season together, after finishing fourth at the 2015 World Rowing Championships. They made the best of the season as they pulled through to become the Rio 2016 Olympic Champions. With this, they scored the first Olympic gold medal for Poland in women’s rowing and it built on two European Rowing Championship titles as well as World Rowing Cup wins.
Magdalena Fularczyk-Kozlowska and Natalia Madaj, Women’s Double Sculls of Poland (Image Credit: heartheboatsing.com)
The World Rowing Federation didn’t ignore their performance and they are the 2016 World Rowing Female Crew of the year.
2016 Male Crew of the Year: Martin Sinkovic and Valent Sinkovic, in the Men’s Double Sculls (Croatia)
Croatia got the benefit of brotherly affection & rapport of Martin Sinkovic & Valent Sinkovic and when the Sinkovic brothers moved out of their nation winning men’s quadruple sculls and into the double, they experienced instant success. The brothers began an unbroken winning streak in 2014 that saw them become the first double ever to finish in under six minutes. Sinkovics won back-to-back World Championship titles and put the icing on the cake in 2016 with gold at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The brothers-duo is admired throughout the rowing world for their synchronous technique.
Martin Sinkovic & Valent Sinkovic, Double sculls of Croatia (Image Credit: alchetron.com)
The World Rowing Federation selected them for the 2016 World Rowing Male Crew of the Year in recognition of their awesome performances.
2016 Para Crew of the Year: Rachel Morris, Para AS Women’s Single Sculls (Great Britain)
Single Sculler from Britain, Rachel Morris, is know to have made the successful transition from para-cycling to para-rowing, realized her Olympic medal dream with a Rio 2016 Paralympic gold. In a career which has an age of just three years, this is a commendable feat and World Rowing Federation couldn’t ignore this feat. Prior to Paralympic Gold, Morris took silver at last year’s World Rowing Championships as well as became the World Best Time holder in the single. A perfect role model of strength of will and dedication, Morris inspires both para and able-bodied athletes.
Rachel Morris, Para AS Women’s Single Sculls of England (Image Credit: leisurequip.com)
She’s got the 2016 World Rowing Para Crew of the Year for her stupendous performances.
2016 Coach of the Year: Roger Barrow (South Africa)
The South African Roger Barrow has spearheaded the development of elite rowing in his country. His contributions can be felt with the fact that it culminated in the first-ever Olympic gold medal in rowing for not just South Africa, but the whole of Africa. And it was in the lightweight Men’s four at the London Olympics that a gold was achieved using a small pool of athletes. The South African has since worked to create the squad relying on the enthusiasm and dedication of athletes despite funding limitations. Barrow, has taken a squad of five boats to Rio, the biggest ever Olympic squad for South Africa, instilling a winning credence. All his trainee crews made the A-final with the men’s pair winning silver.
Roger Barrow (Image Credit: twitter)
Recognition of such a great contribution can’t be any lesser than awarding him with the 2016 World Rowing Coach of the Year.
2016 Distinguished Service to International Rowing: Reinhold Batschi (Australia)
Reinhold Batschi started his career as a rower representing Romania at the 1968 Mexico Olympics. Later on, post his playing career he moved to Europe, coaching initially in Germany, then to Australia where he was the head coach of every Australian Olympic rowing team from 1984 to 2000. During his tenure with the Australian Olympic Rowing team, Australia won 16 Olympic rowing medals. Batschi is credited for designing an innovative coaching education system and he has helped standardise rowing technique throughout Australia. The Romanian has also supported developing rowing nations in Oceania and across the globe.
Reinhold Batschi (Image Credit: Twitter)
Indebted with his contributions to the world of Rowing, Reinhold Batschi got the honour of the 2016 World Rowing Distinguished Services to International Rowing.
As per the award scheme, the winners will be honoured on 28 January 2017 at a gala dinner during the 2016 World Rowing Coaches Conference in Vancouver, Canada.