ROWING: The Australian Rowing Team enjoyed a successful day at the third and final World Rowing Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland with three boats in the Olympic boat class finals, three medals and three overall 2013 World Cup wins in each of these boat classes.
 
Double Olympic champion Kim Crow (VIC/AIS/VIS/Melbourne University Boat Club) raced to gold in the women’s single scull and highlighted the day for the Australian team, which also included a silver medal in the men’s four of William Lockwood (VIC/VIS/Melbourne University Boat Club), Alexander Lloyd (NSW/AIS/NSWIS/Sydney Rowing Club), Spencer Turrin (NSW/AIS/NSWIS/Sydney Rowing Club) and Joshua Dunkley-Smith (VIC/VIS/Mercantile Rowing Club) as well as a bronze medal in the women’s quad scull of Rebekah Hooper (VIC/VIS/Mercantile Rowing Club), Jessica Hall (QLD/QAS/Brisbane GPS Rowing Club), Madeleine Edmunds (QLD/QAS/Commercial Rowing Club) and Olympia Aldersey (SA/SASI/Adelaide Rowing Club).
 
Kim Crow (VIC), who was third in the women’s single at the 2012 Olympic Games, was one of the favourites for the final of the women’s single scull after having won both her heat and semifinal in the fastest qualifying time.  But with all the talent in the field, including 2012 Olympic champion Mirka Knapkova, the race could have gone a number of ways.  And during the race it did with Crow in second position for more than half of the race before she grabbed the lead through the third 500m.
 
But once in the lead Crow pushed away from double Olympic champion in the women’s eight Eleanor Logan of the United State, who had been steadily working herself up through the field into second position.  In the sprint to the line Olympic Champion, Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic gave it her all and moved from fourth into bronze medal position, while Logan was closing on Crow.  But at the line Crow held on to gold with Logan in second and Knapkova just getting into third ahead of New Zealander and London fourth placed Emma Twigg to get bronze.
 
For Crow the World Cup final was about proving to herself that she can race the way she wants to and at the place, which is very special to her:
 
“This win is very exciting.  Today was for me to go out there and race the race I wanted to.  It’s good to get out there and to know that I got the ability to do a good race.  We’ll all be going into a proper race preparation from now to the World Championships and whoever does that best will be in the best shape over there.”
 
“Lucerne is just such a special place and it’s always been.  I love coming here, it’s an amazing course and it’s got that really special feel about it.  The World Championships can be anywhere and yes it’s the pinnacle, but this is a place all rowers love to come to.  So a win here is very special to me.”
 
Crow’s time of 7:14.35 was just 0.21 seconds outside of the World Cup Best Time and after both winning the Sydney World Cup 1 and Lucerne World Cup 3 this meant the overall 2013 World Cup win for Australia in the women’s single scull.  It was also the first time ever for Australia to win the overall World Cup standing in this boat class.
 
This was repeated by 2012 Olympic silver medallists William Lockwood (VIC) and Joshua Dunkley-Smith (VIC) and their crew partners Alexander Lloyd (NSW) and Spencer Turrin (NSW), who went into the final as the current World Cup leaders and managed to bring the title home for the season after finishing second in Sunday’s third and final World Cup race.
 
In the final, it was the United States, the fastest qualifier in the heat and semifinal, who went into the lead.  But there was very little between them and the Australians through the 1000m and 1500m marks.  In the sprint to the line Australia took their rating to 42 to try and catch the United States, but it was Italy who came up fast on the Australians from behind.  At the line, the United States had won (5:50.78) and a photo finish decided World Cup silver for Australia in a time of 6:51.62, with Italy just 0.07 seconds back in third.
 
After winning two medals (gold and silver) in the men’s four for Australia at the Sydney World Cup 1 in March, another win at the World Cup 2 in Eton Dorney and another silver in Lucerne, meant the overall 2013 World Cup win for Australia in this event as well as another first time that Australia was able to secure the World Cup win in this boat class.
 
Olympic silver medallist Will Lockwood said after the race:
 
“This definitely is a confidence boost.  We are a young crew, this was only our second regatta together and we are still coming together.  Before we went overseas we said that if we can come away with a medal we would be on the right track and to come back with a silver medal like that and be close to the Americans, who are really quick, is fantastic.”
 
“Today was a good race and to do it like we did, I’m really proud of the boys.  I’m really happy that we are on the right path and we have a few weeks to go to be ready for Korea and take the next step.”
 
The third Australian crew in Sunday’s World Cup finals was the women’s quad scull with Rebekah Hooper (VIC), Jessica Hall (QLD), Madeleine Edmunds (QLD) and Olympia Aldersey (SA) who won the bronze medal behind Olympic silver medallists and World Cup 2 winners Germany and Poland in third.
 
After winning World Cup 1 in Sydney in March and two third places at World Cup 2 and 3, this meant the third overall World Cup win for Australia at this regatta – and yet another first for Australia in this boat class.
 
Rebekah Hooper said her crew had made good gains over this regatta and was looking forward to the World Championships next.
 
“It’s very exciting to win the overall World Cup.  It’s been really exciting for Australia today and a good lead up going into the World Championships in Korea.  We are very excited and made some good gains over the last couple of world cups so we are very excited for what’s to come.”
 
The Australian women’s and men’s pairs came first and fourth in their B-finals and thus finished 7th and 11th overall.  On Saturday, the Australian women’s four had already won the silver medal in the International events.
 
The Australian Senior A team will now return to Australia and prepare for the World Rowing Championships in Chungju, South Korea at the end of August (25 August to 1 September).  The Under 23 crews who raced in Lucerne have now transferred to the Australian Institute of Sport’s European Training Centre in Varese, Gavirate ahead of the Under 23 World Rowing Championships in Linz, Austria at the end of July (24-28 July).
 
Overall Great Britain won the 2013 World Cup series (Sydney, Eton Dorney, Lucerne) with 179 points, New Zealand was second with 144 points and Australia third on 119 points.

A repeat of the World Rowing Cup 3 finals is scheduled on FOX SPORTS 3 (Channel 503) for Monday, 15 July 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM AEST and Thursday, 18 July on FOX SPORTS 2 (Channel 502) 1:00 AM – 4:30 AM AEST.

Rowing Australia