KEY POINTS:
Rowing New Zealand says the lack of public facilities is one reason it is discouraging people from attending the Olympic showdown between Mahe Drysdale and Rob Waddell.
However, huge interest in the Olympic trials beginning on Friday, and who will get the men's single sculls berth for Beijing, has led to a change of stance towards media presence at Lake Karapiro.
Media will now be welcome to watch from the riverbank during racing on the water on Sunday, weather permitting.
But no formal interview opportunities with the rowers have been planned.
Rowing NZ communications manager Richard Gee said the trials had always been a closed event, not a public one like an open regatta.
With the area around Lake Karapiro being what it was, there was nothing to prevent people from coming to watch.
But Gee said it wasn't something the organisers wanted to encourage, because there would be no facilities in place for the public, such as car parking, catering and toilets.
There was also no set race schedule, and racing might not even go ahead on Sunday, as the conditions had to be suitable for a fair contest.
Rowing NZ also wanted all rowers taking part in the trials to have as few distractions as possible.
Gee said the level of interest in the trials was unprecedented and Rowing NZ was on new ground in how to respond to it.
`We've very appreciative of all the interest, but it's something we're conscious of managing for the benefit of the athletes," he said.
"This is all about getting the fastest boats to Beijing and we don't want anything to distract the athletes from that."
New Zealand's rowing squad for Beijing is expected to be named on March 7.
- NZPA
