The Tasmanian steering the Australian rowing team to this year's Olympic Games remains convinced his home state can still secure three seats on the plane to Tokyo.
Launceston-born national women's head coach John Keogh said Sarah Hawe and Ciona Wilson remain in contention as members of the highly-competitive women's sweep squad while COVID complications represent the biggest hurdle facing Georgia Nesbitt.
The Huon rower and NSW crewmate Sarah Pound will look to qualify the lightweight double scull by finishing in the top two at the final Olympic qualification regatta in Switzerland in May.
However, Keogh is concerned that the crew may be denied their Olympic chance.
"At this point in time it's a massive logistical challenge to get out and back in to Australia," he said.
"We might be in a position where we cannot get out of the country which is completely out of our control.
"Rowing Australia and other federations are pushing the point that it's unfair if they cannot get there to qualify. We are working really hard with the Australian Olympic Committee and International Olympic Committee and other federations to make sure we have an equal chance to go."
Providing the regatta goes ahead, Keogh said Nesbitt and Pound are in a strong position based on their ninth-placed world championship finish a couple of years ago when the top seven automatically qualified.
Keogh won two school state championships at Queechy High, an under-23 lightweight pair national title with North Esk, represented Tasmania in youth eight and lightweight four and twice finished fourth at world championships.
A coaching career which began at Scotch Oakburn has seen him steer Great Britain, Canada and Australia to major international success.
Keogh said Hawe and Wilson remain firmly in the frame for Tokyo.
"Sarah has obviously been pretty consistent in the last three or four years, she's a two-time world champion. She had surgery on her shoulder during lockdown but she's going well and in line to be in one of our boats.
"Ciona is towards the bottom of our group but depending on what strategy we take could be in one of the boats or form part of the support athletes over there."
Rob Shaw
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
