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Australia has qualified fastest through to the A-Final of the newest Para-rowing discipline, the PR3 mixed double sculls, with Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager posting a time of 7:11:30.
After competition was delayed due to thunderstorms, Ayers and Altschwager came out strongly from the start leaving the rest of the field in their wake.
The duo come into the Paralympics the favourites after winning the 2023 World Rowing Para Crew of the Year after their gold medal at the World Rowing Championships in Serbia.
Ayers said the delay didn’t impact them as they focused on qualifying directly through to Sunday’s A Final.
“We get used to expecting the unexpected, so when that happened today we just looked at our processes, reshuffled things and just stayed focused on the job,” she said.
“We got on the start line, a bit of nerves sitting there knowing this is the Paralympic Games.
“But Jed and I knew we had a plan and processes, trusting that, trusting each other and that’s what we said to each other at the start line, did our little fist bump. When the hooter went it was just from that first stroke we were in the zone and following our race plan and I think we executed that really well and backed each other the whole race.
“Looking back on it, there isn’t much that we need to work on, we just need to go out there on Sunday [finals], represent Australia proudly and hopefully we can bring home that gold.”
Altschwager said they’ll use their rest day to put the finishing touches on their preparations and just focus on what they need to do ahead of the final.
“Tomorrow for us is pretty much come down here [to the course] and train in the morning, we’ll do some small kilometres, a few little drills out on the water and then chill out, keep the feet up and eat some good food and prepare for Sunday,” he said.
“When you compete in heats, you learn along the way what that line is and how far you can push it. It’s only through doing it so many times and getting pushed along the way by other boats that you can kind of learn how far you can go with it. Also having each other’s back in the boat.”
Australia’s most successful Para-rower, Erik Horrie, will compete in the repechage of the PR1 men’s single sculls as he looks to better his three silver medals.
Australia’s mixed coxed four narrowly missed qualifying directly through to the A Final but will have another opportunity in the repechage.
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By: Lauren Ryan, Paralympics Australia
Published: 30 August 2024
