24 June 2019
The second regatta of the 2019 World Rowing Cup series included many nations – 45 in total. Among the nations were Australia and New Zealand and at the end of the three days of racing, they made up positions one and two on the medals table, FISA, World Rowing, writes in a press release.
World Cup II was held in Poznan, Poland, on the lake Malta. Australia topped the table winning 11 medals, four of them gold. New Zealand came in second with six medals, four of them gold. Australia’s success was highlighted when they won the blue ribband women’s eight. The Aussie crew chose an aggressive, high-rating style to stay ahead of the World and Olympic champions, the United States. This win gave Jessica Morrison and Annabelle McIntyre two medals as they won silver in the women’s pair earlier in the day. Australia also won gold in the men’s pair, men’s four and lightweight men’s single sculls.
For New Zealand gold medal success came in the women’s pairs with Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler, who dominating the race from start to finish. This was in contrast to the New Zealand win in the women’s double sculls with Olivia Loe and Brooke Donoghue taking gold in the very last strokes of the race. The gold came at the expense of Genevra Stone and Cicely Madden, of the United States, who had led for most of the race. New Zealand’s remaining gold medals came in the women’s single sculls and lightweight women’s double sculls.
The medal spread covered 20 countries and included the first ever World Cup medal for India in the para PR3 men’s pair – a bronze medal – behind France and Ukraine. Cuba was back on the medals table with the return of Angel Fournier Rodriguez in the single sculls. Fournier Rodriguez finished third behind Sverri Nielsen of Denmark and Pilip Pavukou of Belarus.
Over the three-day regatta one World Best Time was set when Corne de Koning of the Netherlands went 8:28 in the heats of the para PR2 men’s single sculls. de Koning went on the win the final as well as pick up a second gold in the para PR2 mixed double sculls with partner Annika van der Meer.
Germany, Great Britain, China and the United States took places three to six in World Cup points. Germany’s third position was helped by winning gold in the men’s eight and lightweight men’s double sculls. Host nation, Poland, showed the continued growth of rowing in their country as they picked up five medals including gold in the men’s quadruple sculls. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Polish Rowing Federation and the 2019 World Rowing Cup in Poznan is the 16th time an international rowing regatta has taken place on Lake Malta.
The overall World Cup points standing after the two World Cups of the series sees China on top with 91 points followed by Poland, then Australia.
The World Rowing Cup series was launched in 1997 and consists of a series of three regattas in the Spring of the year. The overall World Rowing Cup winners are determined at the third and final regatta. This year the three stages in the series are Plovdiv, Bulgaria (10-12 May), Poznan, Poland (21-23 June) and Rotterdam, the Netherlands (12-14 July).
Race results, race reports, photos and videos are available on www.worldrowing.com.