Sarah Cook (rower)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (May 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

This article is orphaned as few or no other articles link to it.
Please help introduce links in articles on related topics. (May 2007)

Sarah Ann Patricia Cook (born 4 February 1985 in Ipswich, Queensland) is an Australian rower.

[edit] Biography

Cook was scouted by the Australian Capital Territory Academy of Sport (ACTAS) while at St Clare's Catholic School.

In 2004, after several years of training, she represented Australia at the World Under 23 Rowing Championships (then known as the Nation's Cup) in the Women's Four event. The event was held in Poznan, Poland. The crew won silver.

In 2005, Cook competed in the same event, hosted in Amsterdam, Holland. Days before the regatta, she fell ill with a throat infection and had barely recovered before racing commenced. The crew finished fifth. The year ended with an invitation to the senior women's squad at the Australian Institute of Sport. Despite further injuries which kept her out of the boat for two months, she won selection into the Australian Senior Women's Eight for the 2006 World Championships at Eton, UK, where the crew won bronze.

Cook resides in Canberra, Australia. She spends her time studying at the University of Canberra, running her own fashion business, and engaging in public speaking.

[edit] Olympics

At the 2007 Australian National Rowing Championships, Cook and Kim Crow won the Women's Elite Pair. Cook also won Silver in the Women's Four and more Gold in the Women's Eight. Cook and Crow will race the pairs at National Selection in April 2007.

Cook and Crow were selected as the Australian pair for the 2007 World Rowing Championships held in Munich where they also competed in the Australian Women's Eight. After winning Gold in the pair at the first World Cup in June in Linz, and Bronze in the same event at the second World Cup in Amsterdam the pair finished fourth at the world championships and in doing so qualified for the Beijing Olympics. Cook and Crow also placed fourth in the Eight which also qualified for Beijing 2008.

The final Olympic selection trials were held in February 2008. Sarah Cook and Kim Crow achieved the outstanding selection of Australian W2 for the Beijing Olympics. Only awaiting AOC approval, the pair beat Australia's best to win selection and the coveted role of the pairs crew.

Cook and Crow then backed up their defence of national championships holders of W2 by dominating the A final on Friday, 7 March 2008. Cook and Crow stroked to competing fours, Cook with a composite crew and Crow with MUBC crew to win silver and gold respectively; the results were reversed in W8+ final with Cook in a composite crew winning gold and Crow winning silver. The results speak of the versatility of these two outstanding Australian rowers and their underlying competitiveness and inherent ability to be relaxed and comfortable, either rowing with each other or against each other.

As they continue their Olympic journey, both Cook and Crow prepare for Beijing with the commencement of the World Cup series in May and June 2008.