ROWING: Australia’s dual Olympic medallist Kim Crow has won the prestigious Ladies’ Trophy at the 127th Aegon Koninklijke-Holland Beker in Amsterdam, Netherlands over the weekend.

The Aegon Koninklijke-Holland Beker is an annual top international rowing event and a fixture for the world’s best single scullers. The 2013 "Ladies' Trophy", the women’s single scull event, featured a full field of London 2012 Olympians with no less than four 2012 Olympic women’s single scull finalists.

Canberra-based Crow, the 2012 Olympic bronze medallist in the single scull and silver medallist with Brooke Pratley in the double scull, arrived in Europe earlier this week in strong form. In a confidence boosting regatta, Crow was able to win both heat and semi-final of the Ladies’ Trophy, which attracted 21 entries from around the world.

In Sunday’s final and in their first encounter since the 2012 London Olympic final, Crow lined up against three of her London rivals, including 2012 Olympic Champion in the women’s single Mirka Knapkova (CZE), fourth placed London Olympian Emma Twigg from New Zealand as well as five-time Olympian and women's single double Olympic champion Ekatarina Karsten from Belarus, who came fifth in London.  

This stellar line-up was completed by American and two time Olympic champion in the women’s eight Eleanor Logan, plus Dutch sculler Chantal Achterberg, an Olympic bronze medallist in the women’s eight.

In a strong performance, Crow led the field from start to finish and won convincingly in 7:19.16, over two seconds ahead of Twigg (7:21.20), winner of the Eton Dorney World Cup No. 2 last week and with eleven-time Ladies’ Trophy winner Karsten in third (7:21.93). 2012 Olympic Champion Knapkova finished fourth (7:22.76), followed by Logan and Achterberg.

“I had a great weekend at the Holland Beker and I’m happy with my performances throughout the regatta," Crow said after the race:  "The racing also showed what needs to be worked on."

"However this was a promising kick-off to my European racing campaign ahead of the World Cup in Lucerne. It’s good to see where I’m currently at in my preparations and to get this opportunity to race against the world’s best scullers.

"It’s all about our long-term perspective and my aim is to continually improve and to gain more international racing experience in the single scull with the goal of racing well at the World Championships at the end of August and ultimately in Rio in three years’ time.”

Crow and her coach Lyall McCarthy have now joined the rest of the Australian Senior A team to prepare at the Australian Institute of Sport’s European Training Centre in Italy before heading to the third and final World Cup in Lucerne (July 12-14).

Rowing Australia