The Golden Oar is being promoted as more than just a regatta, but a festival of rowing. With $100,000 in prize money on the line, though, we’re going to focus on the rowing. With a smorgasbord of commercial sponsors, the event has done well to attract some of the biggest names in the sport from across the globe, and it’ll be fascinating to see if that 2000m pedigree can translate into this novel format.
Speaking of the format, the event will begin with side-by-side 1500m racing on the Lake Burley Griffin race course, although it’s the times that will matter here. Sunday morning will start with a 3000m time trial from Scrivener Dam to the Red Shed. The cumulative times from these two races will seed the 450m sprint final on Sunday afternoon, where crews will compete for some serious cash. In the open category, the prizes are:
1st – $30,000
2nd – $15,000
3rd – $7,500
There is an additional $5,000 up for grabs if the fastest time comes from a crew outside the A-final.
With thirteen entries in this event, all stacked with national team representatives, it’s clear the prize money has been effective in attracting talent, although it certainly makes picking a winner difficult.
Adelaide Composite
The list of international medals in this crew is likely long enough to extend most of the way down the 3000m time trial course they’ll race on. An under-23 Gold for Grace Sypher, an Olympic Gold and Silver for Lucy Spoors, a beach sprints and Lucerne Silver for Ben Mason, and an Olympic Gold and two Silvers for Alex Hill. This crew is one to be reckoned with. Importantly, Mason has experience in mixed boats, first at the World Rowing Beach Sprints where he claimed Silver in the quad, and more recently in Shanghai, placing second in the B-final in the event’s debut. This crew may have slightly more time together than most, with Sypher and Spoors based out of Sydney Rowing Club, which could give them an edge.
HVAK Mladost Composite
The headline act of the regatta, three-time Olympic Champions Martin and Valent Sinkovic, combine with Olympic Bronze medallist Harriet Hudson, and fourth-placed Olympic Sculler Tara Rigney in a combination that’s sure to draw a crowd to the banks of Lake Burley Griffin. With Hudson and Rigney enjoying a year off competition post-Paris, it’ll be fascinating to see how this all-star combination stacks up.
Melbourne University Boat Club
One-club crews are certainly in the minority in this event, but that’s not to say this crew is lacking any firepower. All four are fresh off campaigns at the World Rowing Championships: Georgie Gleeson in the eight, Eliza Gaffney in the four, and Fraser Miscamble and Nick Smith in the pair. With a strong suite of international experience aboard and club pride on the line, expect this crew of senior internationals to lay down some heat this weekend.
Sydney University Two
With two all Sydney University crews entered, it’s possible either could perform well, but for my money, this is the combination that you should keep an eye on. Eleanor Price and Jamie Ford have both had breakout seasons as part of the national team, competing in the pair and eight events, respectively, in China. On the men’s side, Marcus Della Marta and Hamish Danks represent the best of up-and-coming Australian scullers. With all four having won either the Australian Boat Race or the NSW Time Trial in the case of Della Marta, in recent weeks, they could be the most race-ready crew on the water.
Waikato Composite, New Zealand
Somehow, this crew slipped under my radar in the build-up – but it’s unlikely the Kiwis will be out of the limelight come Sunday afternoon. Like many of the high-profile composites on this list, you’ll need some extra hands to count the international medals in their sock drawers. Phoebe Spoors lines up against her sister Lucy, contributing a 2024 Olympic Bronze to the medal count. Matt Macdonald brings the experience of a Tokyo Gold and a Paris Silver, and Logan Ullrich returns to Australia with an Olympic Silver from Paris. Ella Cossill is the last member of the crew and brings quadruple scull experience to the boat from Shanghai this year. Interestingly, both Cossill and Ullrich attended high school in Queensland before moving across the ditch. Additionally, all but Macdonald are University of Washington alumni, which no doubt adds to the camaraderie of this crew. Despite Spoors enjoying a year out from competition post-Paris, this crew will be hard to beat come race day.
Mercantile
Another one-club combination, this crew represents the cream of the crop in the current Australian team, with all four having recently competed in Shanghai. Emmie Frederico in the four, Paige Barr in the eight, Austin Reinehr in the men’s four, who won in Lucerne, and Dom Frederico. Whilst this crew may not have the laundry list of Olympic medals of some of the others, the club spirit at Mercantile is strong, and these four will be eager to bag a win for one of the oldest clubs in the country.
Prediction
Predicting this race is basically impossible, and it’s worth mentioning there’s another seven crews we haven’t written about who could be in contention on their day – but you wouldn’t read a preview of thirteen crews, would you?
In my opinion, there will be Kiwis doing well in Canberra. I predict we’ll see the Waikato Composite taking the $30,000 prize, followed by the Adelaide Composite. Any further down the order is a shot in the dark, but I’m going to say the Sydney University 2 crew should be quick.
