Rowing Chief Rolland Confirms Rio 2016 Racing Program

(ATR) New International Rowing Federation president Jean-Christophe Rolland chaired his first FISA Congress on Monday.

Rolland was elected last November at the 2013 Ordinary Congress in Chungju, Korea to succeed Denis Oswald, who made way for the Frenchman two months ago after 24 years in office.

The congress was held following the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam. Among the guests in attendance were Oswald, now honorary FISA president, and IOC vice-president John Coates, the federation’s continental representative for Oceania.

Also present were several NOC presidents who are also rowers – Eduardo Palomo of El Salvador, Khaled Zain El Din of Egypt, Jose Quinones of Peru, Jiri Keyval of Czech Republic and Denis Masseglia of France.

Elections were held for several seats on the FISA Council.

Delegates of the 51 FISA member federations elected Rosie Mayglothling of Great Britain as chair of the competitive rowing commission. Re-elected were Mike Tanner, chair of the events commission; Pat Lambert, chair of the event promotion Commission; Tone Pahle, chair of the masters rowing commission; Fay Ho, chair of the para-rowing commission and Patrick Rombaut, chair of the umpiring commission.

Jacomine Ravensbergen was elected for the first time as chair of the women’s rowing commission.

The 2016 World Rowing U-23 Championships were provisionally awarded to Rotterdam, the Netherlands. As it will be combined with the 2016 World Rowing Senior and Junior Championships – the first time ever – more time was called for to settle all issues around the organisation of the two events. The 2017 World Rowing U-23 Championships were awarded to Plovdiv, Bulgaria. They will serve as the test event for the 2018 worlds.

Several nations declared their interest in bidding for the 2019 World Rowing Championships: Linz/Ottensheim, Austria; Sydney, Australia; Racice, Czech Republic; and Hamburg, Germany.

Rodrigo Garcia, one of the four managers in the Rio 2016’s sports department, gave a presentation on preparations for the next Summer Games in Brazil.

Rolland announced that FISA has finalised the 2016 Olympic racing program. It will includes staging the two eights and two single scull finals on the last day of the regatta.

Congress delegates were also updated on the revised FISA Strategic Plan, The Equality Strategy – Women’s Rowing Development Plan, The Universality Strategy – The Coastal Rowing and Island Rowing Strategy, The Environmental Strategy – Clean Water Project.

The next congress will be held on Sept. 7 in Chambery, France following the 2015 World Rowing Championships.

Reported by Mark Bisson.

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