SA rowers to attend world champs in bid to qualify for Olympics 

South Africa will be sending a team of top rowers to the upcoming Rowing World Championships, which are scheduled to take place from 3 to 10 September 2023 on the Sava Lake in Belgrade, Serbia. 

These championships are extremely significant as they serve as the crucial qualification races for the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics. They also take place in a sportingly significant year, with the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Netball World Cup, ICC Cricket World Cup, Rugby World Cup, Summer World University Games, Invictus Games, World Masters Regatta and the Rowing Olympic Qualifiers among the major sporting events taking place this year. 

“Our athletes have been training relentlessly, pushing their limits, and demonstrating incredible dedication to reach this exciting moment,” says RMB National Squad head coach Tiago Loureiro. 

The selected athletes are: 

• Heavyweight women’s double scull: Katherine Williams (University of Pretoria) and Paige Badenhorst (University of Pretoria) 

• Lightweight men’s single scull: Murray Bales-Smith (University of Pretoria) 

• Heavyweight men’s double scull: Adriaan Venter (University of Pretoria) and Jake Green (University of Pretoria) 

• Men’s coxless pair: Chris Baxter (University of Pretoria) and John Smith (University of Pretoria) 

• Men’s coxless four: Sandro Torrente (University of Pretoria), James Mitchell (University of Pretoria), Luc Daffarn (University of Pretoria) and Henry Torr (University of Pretoria) 

• Para Rowing – PR1 men’s scull: Lifa Hlongwa (University of Johannesburg) 

The rest of the team comprises: 

• Coaches: Tiago Loureiro, Andrew Grant, Athenkosi Hlekani and Thato Mokoena 

• Performance Director/Manager: Grant Dodds 

• Team Doctor: Dr Marcel Jooste (SEMLI, University of Pretoria) 

• Physiotherapist: Gareth Bruni (Bruni Physiotherapists) 

• Mental Performance Coach: Lesley Pedlar 

• Para Coaches: Jason Knowles (St Benedict’s College) and Dan Louw (St Mary’s School, Waverley) 

Rand Merchant Bank has been the main sponsor of the RMB National Squad since 2016. Says the bank’s Chief Marketing Officer, Alison Badenhorst: “A heartfelt congratulations goes out to those who have been selected to participate at the world championships next month. As a sponsor it is encouraging to see the depth of talent representing South African on the global stage, and to witness the courage and resilience it takes to perform at this level. We wish the squad everything of the best as they compete and push to qualify for the Paris Olympics in 2024.” 

Stay tuned for updates as we follow the RMB National Squad’s journey through the world of competitive rowing. Let’s unite as South Africans and stand behind our athletes as they chase their dreams with indomitable spirit.