Press release pre-Paris

12 June 1997
ROWING WORLD CUP MOVES TO PARIS

Twenty-seven nations will participate in the second regatta of the new Rowing World Cup to be staged on the International Regatta Course at Vaires sur Marne, Paris, near to EuroDisney, on 20-22 June 1997. A list of the participating nations is attached.The national team from Australia will be in Paris, competing in Europe for the first time this season, along with strong teams from current World Cup leaders, including Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland and the host nation France.

The new "Redgrave/Pinsent" four from Great Britain, which won in impressive style at its racing debut at the first World Cup event in Munich two weeks ago, takes on new opposition in Paris. Other Olympic champions on display include Katya (Chocolatovich) Khodotovich of Belarus in the women's single sculls, the Gier brothers of Switzerland in the lightweight men's double sculls, the Danish lightweight men's coxless four and the Romanian women's eight and lightweight women's double sculls.

Paris entries featuring Atlanta Olympic gold medalists now competing in new boat classes this season include Katrin Rutschow and Katrin Boron of Germany trying the women's single sculls after winning the double sculls in Munich, and Stephan Volkert and Andreas Hajek pairing up in the men's double sculls.

Following the opening World Cup event in Munich, Germany leads the overall team score competition with 80 points. German crews have entered 11 of the 14 boat classes in Paris and will be looking to build on their lead.Currently in second place overall is Great Britain with 37 points followed by Denmark with 27, France with 25, Russia with 23 and Romania with 17.

June 17, 1997
21 Atlanta Gold Medalists head Paris Rowing World Cup Line-up

The second event of the 1997 Rowing World Cup takes place in Paris this weekend (20-22 June) with 21 Atlanta Olympic gold medalists and 51 Atlanta medalists from among the 27 nations entered (entry list attached). The top ranked rowing team from Atlanta, the Australian National Team joins the Rowing World Cup this week.

Some Boats to Watch:.

• Men's Coxless Four - Great Britain - Four time Olympic gold medalist Steven Redgrave and double Olympic gold medalist Matthew Pinsent line-up for their 103rd race together. Their winning streak in their main competition boat (the coxless pair until this year) now stands at a phenomenal 64 consecutive wins. They will go for wins 65 and 66 this weekend. France - The French team has broken up their eight to make two coxless fours. France 1 will re-unite three of the 1993 world champions; Jean-Christophe Rolland, Michel Andrieux and Daniel Fauche. Fauche won a silver medal rowing the coxless four in Atlanta (0.25 seconds ahead of GBR in the final) while Rolland and Andrieux won an Atlanta bronze (2.06 seconds behind Redgrave and Pinsent in the coxless pairs). This crew will give GBR a strong challenge..
• Men's Single Sculls - Itzok Cop (SLO), fresh from victory in the Mediterranean Games in Bari and a World Cup win at the first stage in Munich, will take on another strong field. Ibrahim Aly (EGY), second in Munich and at the Mediterranean Games, is a late entry. A surprise entry was received from Denmark in the shape of 1995 double sculls world champion Martin Haldbo-Hansen..
• Women's Single Sculls - Olympic gold medalist in 1996 and Munich winner Katya "Chocolatovich" Khodotovich (BLR) faces a new test in Paris because the Germans have entered their Atlanta gold medalists from the quadruple sculls Kathrin Boron and Katrin Rutschow (GER) in single sculls. The competition also includes '95 world champion Maria Brandin (SWE), and '94 world champion Trine Hansen (DEN) together with the US Trials winner Monica Tranel-Michini, 1995 world champion in the eight..
• Men's Double Sculls - Munich winners Kjetil Undset and Steffen Storseth (NOR) will take on the two Ukrainian Alexanders, Marchenko and Zaskalko, second in Munich, as well as the German Olympic gold medalists from the quadruple in Atlanta, Andreas Hajek and Stephen Volkert. The Australians have entered the brothers Duncan and Marcus Free. Duncan was an Olympic bronze medalist from the quadruple in Atlanta. Another surprise entry is from GBR which includes Atlanta coxless four bronze medalist Jonny Searle..
• Men's Eights - Germany - The winners in Munich by 2 seconds over the British have two new members this week: Wolfram Huhn (silver in Atlanta) and Ingmar Guhl from the coxless pair who will replace two crew members with university exam commitments. They will be challenged by Australia which includes Drew Ginn, a member of the well known Atlanta gold medal winners "Oarsome Foursome". Ginn's partners in the four are taking the year off from European competition but Ginn says: "But for me it's different, I want to keep making steps forward."

Tragically, Fredrik Hulten (SWE), a World Cup competitor and Atlanta finalist, died in a car accident on Friday.

Germany was the overall winner in Munich with 80 points, followed by Great Britain (34), Denmark (26), France (25) and Russia (23).