Rower Noble sets new national record in Italy

Uganda’s Olympian Kathleen Noble kept improving until she set a new national record at the April 12-14 World Rowing Cup in Varese, Italy on Saturday.

First, on Friday, she finished sixth in her heat of the women’s 2000m single scull in a time of eight minutes, 18 seconds and 36 microseconds (8:18.36) and although the experience she was up against showed when the Swedish boat of Anna Malvina Svennung got past her after 500m to finish fourth, the Ugandan rower hit her goal of getting a sub-8:20. Noble’s first 1,000m were completed in 3:59.74

She then went for the repechage where despite posting 4:02.82 in the first 1,000m metres, Noble showed great character in the final 1,000m to lower her time in the afternoon to 8:11.91.

She even showed more of that character in Final C of the event as she posted the national record 8.06.36 on Saturday lowering the 8:07.00 that she did in her final race at the Tokyo Olympics in Japan in July 2021.

“I do not have so many opportunities to compete at the top level so this was a useful and humbling experience as I raced against some of the top outfits in the world,” Noble, who is also preparing for her second Olympics in Paris later this year, said.

Her coach for the last 10 months James Martinez said the races helped them “define where Kathleen is in her training and help set goals for the upcoming training and races” as they lead up to the pinnacle of her races this year.

Paris target

“And those 10 months have seen her progress rapidly from a rower who can achieve certain times for a 2000m race to one much lower times. For example, she took off 12 seconds from her heats to the final. Even some experienced rowers would gain a second or two so her progression is dramatic,” Martinez said as he promised the next three months will be about getting Noble even faster for a quarter final finish in Paris, where the boats should also double from 16 at the World Cup to 32.

Her Ugandan coach Batenga Nakisozi defined the rower as “a phenomenal woman who is quietly grinding with no pomp or government support.”

“Funding is an issue, we have received some help from the Uganda Olympic Committee but we hope we can get more from other sources. We want her to do another World Cup, probably, in June but otherwise, this is good progress for Kathleen,” Nakisozi said.