The Queensland Rowing Championships is one of the earliest large-scale state events of the year, offering early insight into the post-training-camp racing season for many of the maroon state’s top athletes. The women’s open single features a diverse field of athletes, with well-known names hoping to run solid times to catch the attention of state selectors.
Sophie Malcolm – Centenary
Sophie Malcolm is a well-respected sculling powerhouse from Centenary. She earned a place on JRN’s crews to watch in 2025 after winning the U21 single in 2024. She definitely proved that label was accurate, as she was seen on the podium three times at the 2025 Australian Rowing Championships, claiming gold in the U23 double and quad, and silver for QLD in the interstate women’s youth eight. These results led to her selection in the Australian quad that placed fifth at the U23 World Rowing Championships in St Catharines, Canada, in 2025, with Malcolm only 20 years of age at the time. Her reputation cements her as a medallist in this race.
Eliza Bridgefoot – University of Queensland Boat Club
Bridgefoot is no stranger to racing at a highly competitive level, making up the stroke seat of the aforementioned quad that placed fifth at the World Rowing U23 Championships in 2025, alongside Malcolm in the two seat. Bridgefoot has two years of U23 eligibility left and so will clearly be looking for results that see her selected in the U23 team once again. Bridgefoot’s talent was identified, leading to her invitation to trial for the National Training Centre (NTC) in 2024, where she narrowly missed out. Having felt within a grasp of making the senior Australian team, Bridgefoot will use this event to prove the results of early-season training.
Alice O’Toole – Toowong
O’Toole is starting her January season in uncharted territory, racing a heavyweight discipline following success at the 2025 Australian Rowing Championships as a mighty lightweight. At that event, O’Toole was selected in Queensland’s lightweight women’s quad, which placed fourth, and claimed four medals, ranging from the open-age lightweight women’s eight (silver) to the U21 lightweight single scull (silver). She’s an athlete with endurance to succeed in race after race, although her strength as a lightweight may not translate to the heavyweight category. Despite this, she will surely give others a significant challenge over the 2000m course, drawing on her experience rowing for QLD at the U22 Oceania Teams Championships to build her confidence.
Sarah Bourke – University of Queensland Boat Club
Bourke is another young competitor within the open age category whose recent experience predominantly falls in favour of the one oar discipline instead of two. Beginning her career as a prospect from Townsville and being selected into QLD’s pathway programs, she continues her career at one of QLD’s historically high-performing clubs. Bourke had a strong season last year, finishing third in the U21 pair at nationals and second in the QLD interstate youth eight under the guidance of former coach Phil Bourguignon. After he left the club earlier this year, it will be interesting to see how his former athletes have carried on their training into early January, with Bourke looking for results in his absence.
Wallis Russell – University of QLD Boat Club
Russell enters this state championships with a diverse rowing career behind her, competing for Sydney University Boat Club as a junior before returning to her home state, where she’s remained a consistent performer. Russell was selected into the QLD Queens Cup eight last year and formally competed in the lightweight quad. Russell showed extreme promise as a junior, placing fourth at the 2018 World Rowing U23 Championships, missing third place by one one-hundredth of a second. Her confidence in a sculling boat and years of racing experience will give her a particular poise over some of her younger counterparts,
Prediction
The first and second spots will be an incredibly tight race between the two QAS-supported athletes, Bridgefoot and Malcolm. Despite this, I anticipate Bridgefoot to pip Malcolm for first, with Sarah Bourke finishing in a strong third.
