Coach trip to China

COACH TRIP: Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club coach Ian Weenink is off to mentor Chinese athletes.

Whanganui's loss is certainly China's gain as top rowing coach Ian Weenink packs his bags for Asia.

The Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club head coach has been invited to assist and mentor rowers in the Anhui Province in Eastern China ahead of the country's national championships next year.

Most of his adult life Weenink has been an inspiration to untold New Zealand rowers who have gone on to national and international fame.

While Weenink has coached at top level in New Zealand including leading Kiwi crews to gold at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Poland and the women's quad to a fifth in the A final at the 2007 World Juniors in Beijing, his main focus has been on mentoring rowing nurseries in the provinces to feed the ever-hungry high performance and elite national centres.

Under his watch literally hundreds have developed into high achievers to the very best of company.

In 2006 Weenink left the Aramoho Wangnanui club to coach in Nelson where he immediately lifted that club to the top performing squad in the country. He maintained that honour for three years running bringing crews from both boys and girls high schools along for the ride. Nelson secondary school crews dominated Maadi Cup under his tenure.

Olympic rower Chris Harris followed his coach and mentor down to Nelson during his three year stint.

That success came hard on the heels of keeping Aramoho Wanganui at the top of the national heap for three years before his move south.

Under his watch crews have claimed 71 golds, 52 silver and 51 bronze at secondary school or club national levels not to mention the international achievements.

Weenink-coached and mentored rowers to become high achievers are almost too many to count, but in recent times include Jackie Gowler and Georgia Nugent-O'Leary spring to mind. The teenagers are current members of the New Zealand Under-23 team and have been named in this season's national summer squad.

"Over the years I have been asked to go back to coaching national teams, but have declined. I much prefer mentoring and watching young rowers develop not only as athletes, but as people too," Weenink said yesterday.

"I remember them all and they all keep touch with me and I love that part of it. I was approached by scouts asking if I would be interested in coming to China and coaching.
After a wee bit of thought I accepted. It's not every day you get asked to do something like this.

"It's winter at the moment in Chin and I will be based in Hefei, the capital and largest city in the Anhui Province in Eastern China - I'm looking forward to it," Weenink said.

Beyond the Chinese nationals Weenink is unsure of his involvement.
In the meantime, he helped the Aramoho Wanganui club short-list an impressive group of potential replacements to take over his coaching duties.

"I can say they included a wide range of highly qualified and impressive international coaches, so I'm sure the club will be well catered for," Weenink said