By Freeman Makopa
Rowing Association of Zimbabwe (RAZ) has announced a three-member team of junior athletes to take part in the World Rowing Junior Championships to be held next month.
The three are Lorryn Bass from Chisipite Girls School, who will participate in the Girls Single Scull Event, and two boys Patrick Plunket and Rory Plunket from the Hilton College in South Africa, who will be competing in the boys double Scull event.
Two coaches will accompany the team.
This year’s edition of the World Rowing Junior Championships will take place in Tokyo, Japan from August 7 to 11.
RAZ vice-president Sally Soper expressed satisfaction with the athletes that have been selected and also hailed the technical team for the good preparations ahead of the games.
“A big thank you to the technical committee, under the expertise of Margie Gibson, for all their work and time spent with the preparations. The RAZ committee would also like to commend the assistant coach, Holly Garnett, for her hardwork in preparing our junior RAZ squad athletes, under the guidance and mentorship of the Junior national head coach, Kristine Johnson. Thanks must also go to the respective schools that have been very supportive of the athletes,” she said
Johnson is hoping the selected team will achieve good results.
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“I and Lorryn depart for Tokyo on Saturday (tomorrow), the boys and their coach will arrive in a weeks’ time from South Africa. It is an exciting time to be attending a competition of this magnitude. Everyone has been training really hard and we are hoping for some great results from our athletes. We would like to wish them the best of luck,” she said
The junior rowing teams have been doing well at regional and the international stage which includes winning a gold medal at the South African National Championships in May, where top performers were Rory and Patrick Plunkett racing in the men’s doubles event and came first. Bass was placed 8th in the Women’s Singles Event, but still received some praise as all her competitors train in the South African U23 and open squad. She won the U18 singles event at the same tournament.
Zimbabwe team
Girls Single Scull Event, JW1x: Lorryn Bass — Chisipite Girls School
Coach: Kristine Johnson
Boys Double Scull Event, JM2x: Patrick Plunket and Rory Plunket — Hilton College, South Africa.
Coach: Ernie Steenkamp
