Scotch College

The Scotch Olympic Spirit

The 2004 Olympic flame travels past Scotch

The Scotch Olympic Spirit

Rowers make their mark on the world scene

Drew Ginn ('99) and George Jelbart ('00) head the list of past and present Scotch Collegians who are representing Australia or Victoria at important regattas throughout July, August and September.

Going for Gold in Athens

Both Drew and George have been selected to compete at the Athens Olympic Games in August. Drew is competing in the coxless pair event and George in the lightweight double scull.

Remarkable comeback from Injury

Drew has made a remarkable comeback from a serious back injury that forced him out of the Sydney Olympics and he is now aiming to win his second gold medal.

Drew started rowing at Scotch and was a member of the 4th VIII in 1991 and then rowed in the 7 seat of the winning 1992 crew that was co-coached by James Tomkins and Lawrie Malcolm.

The 2004 Olympic flame travels past Scotch College.

Matt Welsh

Drew continued his rowing career at Mercantile Rowing Club and, when Andrew Cooper pulled out of the oarsome foursome, Drew took his place at the Atlanta Olympics joining his former coach, James Tomkins in the crew. They scored a wonderful and unexpected win and Drew became the first Old Scotch Collegian to win an Olympic gold medal.

After Nick Green retired from rowing, Drew partnered James Tomkins in a coxless pair and they were world champions in 1999. The following year, Drew was forced to pull out of the pair at the Lucerne Regatta with a back injury that required surgery.

After a long rehabilitation, Drew returned to international rowing in 2002, finishing 4th in the coxless pairs with James Tomkins at the World Championships. Last year Drew and James scored an outstanding win at the World Championships and they were voted the Champion Men's Crew of the year. They are rated as gold medal favourites by FISA (the world rowing body) and the British pair, the 1998 world champions, ave now sought selection in a different class of boat.

James and Drew expect South Africa and Croatia to provide the strongest opposition but they are wary of a number of other crews who will pose a real danger.

Outstanding Young Oarsman

George Jelbart is one of Australia's best young oarsmen. He comes from one of Scotch's best known rowing families - his father, ax ('69), rowed in two winning Head of the River crews in 1966 and 1967 and his elder brother, Will ('98), rowed in the winning 1998 crew and in the successful 2001 King's Cup crew.

George rowed in the 1st VIII in 1999 and 2000. The 2000 crew narrowly missed the final of the Head of the River being beaten by the eventual winners, Geelong College.

George continued rowing at Melbourne University Boat Club before being offered a scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport. He entered the lightweight program and was an immediate success winning a gold medal at the World Under 23 Championships.

Nick Mitchell and Chris Riddell	Matt Barker	Sandy Machin

Last year, George won three national titles in the lightweight four, lightweight pair and lightweight quad scull events. He was selected to represent Australia in the lightweight pair event. However, is partner was injured and had to withdraw.

George Jelbart

George changed to the sculling program and won a silver medal in the Under 23 lightweight single scull and finished 7th in the open age lightweight single scull.

His performances at the Olympic trials earlier this year stamped George as an outstanding oarsman. He narrowly missed selection in the lightweight four, immediately changed to the sculling program and won selection in the lightweight double scull with a young Tasmanian, Cameron Wurf. They are being coached by Bob Bleakly at the AIS.

George goes to Athens with high hopes and the best wishes of the whole Scotch community behind him.

Australian Representation

Three other Old Scotch Collegians have been selected to represent Australia in rowing crews.

Cameron McKenzie-McHarg ('98) has been selected in the Coxed Four crew to compete at the World Championships in Spain. Cameron was a member of the Australian VIII for the last three years and many good judges consider him unlucky to have missed Olympic selection.

Tim Smith is following in his father's footsteps who is a former world lightweight champion. Tim has been selected in the Australian lightweight VIII to compete at Spain. This is the second time he has been selected to represent Australia. Tim was Captain of Rowing in 2001 and a member of the 1st VIII that year.

Another member of the Class of 2001, Howard Sharpe, has been selected to represent Australia in the Under 23 Lightweight Double Scull event at the World Under 23 Championships in Poland. Howard was a member of the 2nd VIII in 2001 and rows at Mercantile Rowing Club.

Cameron McKenzie-McHarg and Drew Ginn

Keir McKenzie McHarg ('01) has been selected in the Australian University Team to compete at the World University Rowing Championships on 2 - 4 September in Brive La Gaillarde, France. He is a member of the coxless four crew. Keir rowed in the 2 seat of the Scotch College 2nd VIII in 2001.

Four Members of State Youth Team

Sandy Machin (Yr 12) and Matthew Barker (Yr 12) from this year's winning Head of the River crew, together with Nick Mitchell ('03) and Chris Riddell ('03) from last year's 1st VIII, have all been selected to represent Victoria at the 2004 Australian Youth Cup to be held in Adelaide in July.

Sandy and Matthew finished second in the coxless pair event at the selection trials and earned selection in the pair, our and eight events. Nick will also row in the pair and will join the others in the four and eight.

Chris Riddell will compete in the single scull, quad scull and eight events.

The crews will compete against teams from the other states and territories of Australia and from the north and south islands of New Zealand. The teams will be competing for the Rusty Robertson Youth Cup.

Congratulations to all those who have been selected to represent their state or country.

Greg Baker
Chairman of Rowing