PHOTO;LEFT TO RIGHT -RIORDAN MORRELL , GREG BRAND

‘Big Red’ rearing to go…

Riordan Morrell, from WHHS, is readying himself for the highlight of his young rowing career; the World Junior Rowing Championships held at Eton, England, from the 3^rd to the 7^th of August ..

Morrell has spent the last few months living in Cambridge, rowing alongside the Elite, U23 NZ Rowing teams , and his U19 Junior rowing team mates.

the International squad has had its fair share of injuries , as they approach their respective departure dates. Unfortunately one of the Junior Men’s eight crew suffers from a chronic back injury and Rowing NZ has made a decision to leave him home . For our Riordan this has meant big changes. Morrell’s Junior Double Sculls partner Greg Brand will now take up the vacant place in the Junior eight , as he is the more experienced rower (a rower holds 1 oar) . Morrell, who is a high performance sculler (a sculler holds 2 oars) has until the 9^th of July, to realize his fate.

Rowing NZ are going to put Morrell  out in a single scull with 2 selectors, for time trials. If he succeeds, as he is hopeful of,assuring them of his potential, he will be going to the Junior World Rowing Championships as their single sculler. “He is nervous” his father Ross Morrell said “ if he doesn’t make it he will be the non-traveling reserve.”

Morrell has gained 5 kilo while at the Karapiro High Performance Centre. His weight change is likely to be muscle gain. The athletes train hard. Riordan arrives each day at Rob Waddell House, at 5.20am. The porridge is warm and waiting-left on the warmer the night before, for the rowers first breakfast, before going ‘On-Water ‘at 5.45am.

Morrell will return after training, for his second breakfast of the day, at 8.45am. “Riordan commented ‘ the food’s great’ “ says Dad “ He’s pleased he can have Weetbix three times a day, like he does at home”.

The Junior crews row again in the afternoons, and are shifting into speed work now, before they leave for London on the 18^th of July.They will have Pre-competition training, on the Rowing Course, at Eton, from the 19th July  to the  2 August and the World Champs are 3-7 August.

Rotorua’s Women’s Heavyweight Single sculler; Claudia Hyde is “having a ball” says her Dad, Martin Hyde. Claudia will compete at the 2011 Under 21 Youth Cup Regatta, racing at Penith, Sydney, Australia.

The U21 Squad will depart for Australia on the 5^th July. A day later , Rotorua’s Julia Edward and Laura Fischer leave for Europe to attend the World Under 23 Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, Holland from the 21^st to the  24^th of July.Laura Fischer is part of the U23 Women’s Quad Sculls crew and Julia Edward is in the U23 Lightweight Women’s Double Scull crew.