Gig club rowers enlist students' help (From Falmouth Packet)

Gig club rowers enlist students' help

9:54am Thursday 21st March 2013 in Sport

Degree students at Cornwall Council have been enlisted to help Falmouth’s world champion gig rowers to get race-fit in time for them to defend their titles in May.

The sports performance and coaching Bachelor of Science students are conducting detailed fitness tests on the athletes using state-of-the-art equipment at the college’s Camborne campus.

Russell Lawrance, Cornwall College’s director of A-levels, sport and public services, who has been helping to coach Falmouth Gig Club’s winning men’s squad, will use the information gathered in the lab tests to determine specific exercise plans to improve each individuals’ performance.

He said: “Cornwall College has been supporting Falmouth Gig Club over the last few years and I’m pleased to be able to help prepare them for what will hopefully be their third gold medal in the world championships.

“This type of detailed testing will identify what the squad need to do in terms of exercise regime to reach and stay in peak condition, which will vastly improve their performance on the water.”

The gig club’s head coach, Greg Oldrieve, said: “The introduction of Cornwall College and their more professional approach to our strength and conditioning training has been instrumental to Falmouth Gig Club’s phenomenal competition results in recent years.

“Whilst our squad rowers have always worked hard, working smart has made the difference between being good and outstanding.

“The introduction this year of lab testing, thanks to the help of the college’s undergraduates, has been very instructive for the coaches and selectors, and raised the bar once more in rapidly growing and competitive sport.”

Falmouth are unbeaten in two years at the County and Pilot Gig World Championships and will defend their title in the Isles of Scilly in May.