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Matthew Russell

Wendouree Ballarat Rowing Club
1994 – Nations Cup – Men’s Lightweight Four three seat - Fourth
1994 – Trans Tasman Under 23 – Men’s Lightweight Four
1996 – Interstate Men’s Lightweight Four Championship stroke - First
1997 – Interstate Men’s Lightweight Four Championship two seat - Second
1997 - World Championships - Men’s Lightweight reserve
2000 – Interstate Men’s Lightweight Four Championship bow – Third
2000 – World Championships – Men’s Lightweight Eight bow - Bronze
2002 – Interstate Men’s Lightweight Four Championship three seat – Fourth
2002 – World Championships – Men’s Lightweight Pair bow – Ninth
1995-1997 - Director of Coaching at Ballarat and Clarendon College before moving to Tasmania
1992-1997 – Wendouree Ballarat Rowing Club Committee

Matt Russell stroking an Australian pair in2002

Matt commenced his rowing at Ballarat and Clarendon College before joining Wendouree Ballarat Rowing Club. Being a ‘proud Ballarat Boy’, Matthew has fond memories of 1997 for a number of reasons. It was the first all-Ballarat Victorian crew racing in the Penrith Cup with Rob Richards, Tim Wright and Anthony Edwards. The same crew won the National Championship lightweight four in a cracker of a race. They were bow ball to bow ball all the way down the course with another Victorian based crew including Stuart Peile, Andrew Lane, Stuart Purves and Darren Balmforth. He regards the win against such strong competition with three close mates as “simply fantastic”. Also in 1997 he had another superb race, at the Lucerne World Cup in the lightweight pair final together with Tasmanian Andrew Butler. The crew moved into the lead from the 1000 and secured the silver in a photo finish. Well done Matt.

Andrew Guerin 2015

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The idea for this history originated from the Olympic Rowing and World Senior Rowing Championship histories written by Andrew Guerin and Margot Foster in 1991, 1992 & 1993 for the Australian team handbooks. Andrew Guerin developed and extended these histories to the current format in 2004 for publication in 2004 and then expanded the site.

Steve Roll has been an invaluable contributor to the website in locating errors and finding Christian names of rowers. His superb work is acknowledged.

© Andrew Guerin – 2004
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