Olympian James Marburg to help with new talent

By Melanie Whelan
Updated November 2 2012 - 12:59pm, first published December 2 2009 - 1:08pm
ENCOURAGING: Olympic rower James Marburg in front of a new crop of St Patrick's College rowers yesterday. Picture: Lachlan Bence
ENCOURAGING: Olympic rower James Marburg in front of a new crop of St Patrick's College rowers yesterday. Picture: Lachlan Bence

BACK in the shed where he learnt his rowing trade, Olympian silver medallist James Marburg cast a keen eye over a new crop of St Patrick's College rowers yesterday.The world championship and Olympic fours' rower plans to be a more familiar face at St Patrick's Point this summer.Marburg has taken a break from work to study next year and, in between hitting the books, will assist St Pats' rowing master Jamie Lynn to fine-tune crews."It's really good to see guys in the same situation you were once in and hopefully I can help them through with coaching, guidance and general advice," Marburg said."I've always enjoyed coaching and seeing people achieve what they want to achieve."Melbourne-based Marburg is already a rowing coach at fellow Christian Brothers' school St Kevin's College in Toorak, where he works with their first eight.At St Pats, where the focus is on fours, Marburg said he would be helping where needed.The college is chasing a fourth-consecutive boys' title in the prestigious Ballarat Associated Schools' Head of the Lake this summer and is keen to make a splash at nationals."I'll probably help out across the whole program, talking to the senior guys as well as seeing how everyone goes," Marburg said.He knows exactly what Head of the Lake is all about, having rowed in the St Pats' firsts in the 2000 regatta and finishing second to Ballarat High School. Marburg is now a member of the Victorian Institute of Sport and Melbourne University rowing clubs.In the past two years, he made his mark in elite international competition with Olympic and world championship silver in the mens' lightweight four.To make his Olympic debut, Marburg's crew first had to qualify their boat in a final Olympic Qualifying Regatta in Poland, leading into the Games.He faces an intense, long year ahead, starting with national selection trials at Nagambie in April where he hoped St Patrick's College would be out in force. Australian rowers then move to Europe for the World Cup Circuit in May to July before world championships in New Zealand in November.

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