With 50 countries confirmed to compete, the 2010 World Rowing Championships at Karapiro in the North Island will be the biggest international sport event in New Zealand since the 1990 Commonwealth Games.
In around 50 days’ time, 55 New Zealand athletes will line up with competitors from 50 countries on Waikato’s Lake Karapiro - considered one of the most scenic and admired courses in the world.
Organisers say that with still a month to go before entries close, the number of nations competing may yet increase.
Team announcements New Zealand rowing legend and four times world champion, Mahe Drysdale made the 50 team announcement at a special function marking 50 days to go until the opening ceremony on 30 October.
Representing the host country, Drysdale met children from Cambridge Primary School who had their faces painted with the flags of the 49 other participating countries.
The biggest teams - fielded by Germany, Great Britain and the USA - will bring more than 100 athletes, coaches and support staff.
Large teams are also expected from Australia, Canada, China, France, Italy and the Netherlands.
NZ’s largest team New Zealand has announced its biggest ever team for a World Rowing Championship with 18 crews and 55 athletes. New Zealand will be represented in 13 of the 14 Olympic boat classes.
The event has also attracted entries from lesser-known rowing nations such as Azerbijan, Chile, Paraguay and Samoa.
"It’s great to have reached fifty participating nations at this point," said Rowing NZ chief executive Tom Mayo. "We have more than a month until entries close so that total still may increase slightly.
The full list of confirmed nations to date is: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbijan, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Madagascar, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Samoa, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and the USA.
Works on schedule The championships’ venue at Lake Karapiro is taking shape and construction of the main grandstand, which will become New Zealand’s largest-ever temporary grandstand, is on schedule.
The grandstand will stretch 142 metres down the Waikato embankment and provide seating for 10,000 spectators - 6,000 under cover and another 4000 in open air seating.
Work began at the end of August and is expected to take about six weeks to complete. Construction has posed several challenges with the grandstand going over a boat ramp area at one point, where it will stand more than 25m high.
The canopy, which covers the back two thirds of the grandstand, was required to be strong enough to withstand 100 knot winds. The solution has been the innovative use of marquee materials, secured by 112 tons of anchors.
"This is another first for New Zealand," Tom Mayo said. "Thanks to the creative input from a number of top New Zealand professionals, we are creating the biggest and best temporary grandstand ever built in this country."
New finish tower A new finish tower under construction at Lake Karapiro is also on schedule.
The new NZ$650,000 permanent structure will replace the old Don Rowlands Tower which was built by weekend volunteers for the 1978 World Rowing Championships at Karapiro.
Tom Mayo says the old tower was in need of repair and upgrading, and the 2010 championships provided a unique opportunity to create a new facility.
"It will be tremendous for the event and is another significant addition to the capital legacy for rowing in New Zealand," he said.
Athletic appetites The Auckland company appointed as official caterers to the athletes and VIPs during the 2010 World Rowing Championship say their biggest challenge will be gauging the appetites of the athletes.
With approximately 1100 lunches to prepare on a daily basis for eight days of competition, Austins Food Design Events estimates it will churn through about 2.6 tonnes of meat and more than five tonnes of carbohydrate.
"We’ll be scheduling a number of tastings with athletes to better understand the appetites of rowers," said manager Leny Woolsley.
Party event New Zealand’s plans for the 2010 Rowing World Championships will make the event unique in rowing history.
An extra day has been added to the programme for a spectacular opening ceremony and, in what organisers say is another Kiwi innovation, top NZ bands are joining the party throughout the week to create an unforgettable atmosphere for spectators.
Ticket sales had been strong, despite the recession, and that meant organisers have been able to focus on creating an "amazing party around the rowing competition," Tom Mayo said.
Opening ceremony The 30 October opening ceremony will begin with a nostalgic look back at the 1978 Championships, the last time the event was held in New Zealand, followed by a flotilla of water craft with athletes and celebrities celebrating the history of the oldest Olympic sport and the success of New Zealand rowers - and other sports - over the years.
The formal part of the ceremony will include a powhiri / welcome in the presence of the Māori King, and the official flag-raising. A 90-minute gig from top New Zealand rockers OPSHOP will bring the day to a close.
"OPSHOP can’t wait to play at the opening of the World Rowing Champs," OPSHOP lead singer Jason Kerrison said. "New Zealand has always punched above their weight in this global sport and we’re looking forward to throwing our support behind our best rowers as they take on the world."
Other entertainment during the event will include Gin Wigmore, Autozamm and The Lady Killers.
Karapiro 2010 has also joined forces with the First Tuesday NZ Trust to broadcast the Melbourne Cup live on the big screens at the rowing event.
Competition in the 2010 World Rowing Championships begins on 31 October and runs through until 7 November.
