2005 World Rowing Championships
Last Day of World Rowing Championships – Australia
leads the medal table and Italy takes the Team Trophy
Gifu, Japan – 29 August to 4 September 2005
The 2005 World Rowing Championships Team Trophy was today
awarded to Italy, who, with a total of ten medals, including
two in adaptive events topped the Team Trophy ranking system.
However, with four gold medals, one Silver and one Bronze,
Australia leads this year’s World Rowing Championships
medal table ahead of New Zealand. New Zealand yesterday achieved
history by taking four gold medals in less than an hour in
the men’s single, the men and women’s pair, and
the women’s double. With three gold medals, one silver
and one bronze Great Britain comes third in the madal table.
The Danish lightweight men’s pair saw retiring Bo Helleberg
and Thomas Ebert finish in the same spot they began over a
decade ago: rowing together. The Danes leave the game on top
as 2005 World Champions to finish off their rowing career
in style.
Italy’s dominating lightweight men’s quad Filippo
Mannucci, Luca Moncada and Daniele Gilardoni return as three-time
defending champions, joined by Gardino Pellolio in bow. After
a challenging race, in which a sudden burst from the Belgian
crew put Italy’s Gold in jeopardy in the last 500 metres.
The Belgians tried, but ran out of heat, conceding Italy’s
Mannucci, Moncada and Gilardoni their fourth consecutive World
Champion titles and Pellolio his first.
In the lightweight double scull Daniela Reimer and Marie-Louise
Draeger of Germany can now call themselves the most successful
German crew this season after taking gold. But it was not
all joy for the German crews today: an unfortunate Boron loosing
her oar in the women’s quad race later this morning
prevented Germany from taking a possible gold medal. The Germans
fought on to the line, but having perturbed their rythme through
the incident Great Britain was eventually able to inch forward
to take gold. Germany win silver and Russia bronze.
Throughout the week and throughout the season all six finalists
in the men’s quadruple scull had shown that they could
be medallists. But from the start the mixture of new and experience,
Konrad Wasielewski, 21, Marek Kolbowicz, 34, Michal Jelinski,
25, and Adam Korol, 31, of Poland looked like they wanted
gold the most.
Poland’s fast start gave them the edge over Cop and
Spik’s Slovenian crew. The edge, however, was slight
and at the half way point all six crews were still within
striking distance of the gold. Surprisingly the Czech Republic
then began to slip back as Poland and Slovenia managed to
get a small break on the rest of the field.
In Poland’s first year together as a quad they became
World Rowing Champions. Slovenia, winning silver, looked very
relieved as Spik stood up in the boat to salute his crew.
Estonia also looked pleased. Bow man, thirty-nine year old
Jueri Jaanson had added bronzed to his huge collection.
One of Australia’s four gold medals was brought home
by the women’s eight despite USA’s flying start
that gave them nearly a full boat length lead after only about
65 strokes. Romania sat in second, a little overwhelmed by
the hot US pace. Coming through the 1,000 metre mark, however,
Romania had moved up on the US. Then Australia, who had qualified
for the final through the repechage, made a move. The move
was brutal. Australia had overtaken Romania and sat in second
behind the United States. With new-found confidence the Aussies
were not stopping and eventually pushed into the lead with
400 metres left to row. As red-faced coxswains urged their
crews on, the Netherlands came out of nowhere from the back
of the field and made the finish line a four-boat battle.
With just three buoys left to row, the Dutch overtook the
Americans. Australia had won gold. Romania finished with silver
and the Netherlands won bronze.
The United States men’s eight used the same strategy
as their women’s crew, flying off the start to take
the lead with the nearest threat coming from Russia. Hoopman,
in stroke, with new coxswain Marcus McElhenney holding the
reigns, continued down the course at a 37 stroke rate, inching
away from the fading Russians. But the Americans now had a
new challenge. Italy had moved through Russia, then Poland
and finally overtaken their rivals from this season, Germany,
to find second. The Italians charged. The Americans held them
off. United States become 2005 World Rowing Champions. Italy
wins the first eights medal in 18 years. Germany step up from
their fourth place finish last year to win bronze.
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