Aggar wins Inaugural FISA Award

Tom Aggar, reigning world and Paralympic champion, has been named as World Rowing’s Adaptive Crew of the Year by the sport’s governing body, FISA. He is the inaugural winner of this Award which makes its first appearance on the FISA roll of honour in 2009.

The 25 year old Londoner won his second successive world title in the ASM single scull in Poznan, Poland, this August.  Earlier in the season he also took victories at both the Varese International Regatta and the Munich World Cup.

In Beijing in 2008, Aggar created history by winning rowing’s first Paralympic gold medal in this boat class. The sport made its Paralympic debut in China.

A graduate of the University of Warwick, Aggar trains with the Siemens-sponsored GB Rowing Team’s adaptive squad at the national training centre near Reading.

He said:   “I’m really pleased to get the award. It has come as a complete surprise.  It is fantastic that the adaptive events have been included in the FISA list of awards this year.

“My success is not just down to me, though.  It’s been a huge effort from GB Rowing and the support staff I have around me. I’m really lucky to be able to benefit from such a great set-up”.

David Tanner, GB Rowing Team’s Performance Director, said: “Since he joined the sport in 2006, Tom’s made a huge mark on his event and is unbeaten.  He is now really looking forward to the 2012 Paralympic Games and this is a great boost to him along the way”.

FISA’s other award winners are for 2009 are:

2009 World Rowing Coach of the Year
Tom Terhaar – Head Women’s Coach, USA

2009 World Rowing Female Crew of the Year
Erin Cafaro, Susan Francia – USA Women’s Pair (W2-)

2009 World Rowing Male Crew of the Year
Mahe Drysdale – NZL Men’s Single (M1x)

2009 World Rowing Distinguished Service to International Rowing
Don Rowlands – NZL

The awards will be made on the occasion of the 2010 World Rowing Gala Dinner, which is to take place during the annual Coaches Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark on Saturday 23 January 2010.

For the first time this year, the World Rowing award nominations were submitted by the general public. Finalists were selected by the FISA Council and the winners were carefully chosen by FISA’s Executive Committee during a meeting last month.