Olympic Fever!

The entire Loreto Kirribilli community was buzzing with excitement this week as ex-student Tara Rigney (’17) rowed for Australia at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Racing in the 2000m Women’s Double Scull, Tara and her teammate Amanda Bateman qualified for the semi-final, crossing the line in 5th place to reach the B-Final and compete for world rankings 7 to 12.

With great anticipation from our remote locations, the school community watched on to see Tara and Amanda inch their way into the lead in the last stretch of the race to win convincingly, earning the ranking of 7th in the world, an amazing achievement.

Tara Rigney attended Loreto Kirribilli from Kindergarten to Year 12, making her mark as Captain of the Junior School, and excelling at sport including netball, athletics, cross country as well as rowing.

Following her graduation from Loreto Kirribilli in 2017, Tara was selected for the Under 23 National Rowing Team in 2019, racing in the Women’s Pair that finished 10th in the world. Domestically, she won the Under 23 Women’s Pair at Nationals, while in 2020 she won the Under 23 Women’s Single Scull title at the NSW State Championships.

Earlier this year, Tara joined the Hancock Prospecting Women’s National Training Centre in Penrith, Rowing Australia’s state-of-the-art training facility on the banks of the Nepean River. At the 2021 Australian Rowing Championships, Tara won gold in the Open Women’s Single Sculls and also claimed the Nell Slatter Trophy for the Interstate Women’s Single Scull.

When the Australian Olympic Committee announced the Australian Olympic rowing team in June, Tara was selected to race in the Women’s Double Scull alongside Amanda Bateman. Now ranked 7th in the world, these young rowers clearly have a great future ahead of them.

The Loreto Kirribilli community sends Tara, her teammates and coaches our heartiest congratulations!