A Stellenbosch University (SU) Rowing Club athlete recently placed ninth in the men’s 500 meter sprint category at the 2022 World Rowing Indoor Championships, according to the World Rowing website.
The race was held virtually on 25 February. Maties rower, Edwin Olivier’s sprint time of 1:24.1 minute, as recorded by the World Rowing website, was completed in the Maties rowing shed at the Coetzenburg Sports Complex.
Maties rower, Edwin Olivier, competed in the 2022 World Rowing Indoor Championships and his 500 meter sprint time of 1:24.1 minute, as recorded by World Rowing, secured ninth place on 25 February. Olivier works as the indoor rowing coordinator and student coach for Maties Rowing Club and can often be found in their shed at Coetzenburg Sports Complex. Photo: Jamie Venter
“I’m really proud of that,” said Olivier of the achievement. “I was about eight or nine meters behind the Australian, Jack Young, and over those last 250 meters started closing in piece by piece until the very last stroke where we were dead even […] and then I pulled ahead by one meter.”
In this recording of the official World Rowing live stream of the men’s 500 meter sprint category at the 2022 World Rowing Indoor Championships, Edwin Olivier competes against an international field. VIDEO: Instagram/Maties Rowing
Olivier’s category was particularly competitive, as the competitors included rower Phill Clapp, who currently holds the current world record for the men’s 500 meter sprint category according to the Concept 2 World Records for indoor rowing on their website. Clapp finished first in this category at the 2022 World Rowing Indoor Championships, as detailed on the World Rowing website.
Olivier “is a fantastic rower”, said SU Rowing Club coach, Ashley Zeelie. “He completed twenty kilometers [or more] a day on the rowing machine while training for the indoor event,” said Zeelie.
The results of the men’s 500 meter sprint category of the 2022 World Rowing Indoor Championships. Graphic: Jamie Venter
“Maties Sport are proud to call him ours and we encourage more students to sign up to a sporting club, be it in high performance, competitive or recreational,” stated Kimara Singh, media and communications manager for Maties Sport, via email correspondence with MatieMedia.
“I am keen to see more mass participation in these events, because I am not the only sprinter in this club,” said Olivier, who works as the indoor coordinator and student coach for the SU Rowing Club. “Some of the girls are incredibly fast and based on their times would have a very good chance of qualifying for the U23 World Sprints as well,” said Olivier.
“He rowed as a B team rower in his school career. Edwin is a prime example for everybody out there,” said Zeelie. “Maties [Rowing Club] is for all. You can come in as a B crew rower or a novice and then develop into a very competitive rower in the South African scene.”