Adaptive finals highlight Day 5 at World Champs

Across the five events there was a good spread of medals around the world saw France’s Nathalie Benoit, 30, win the adaptive women’s single scull over Claudia Santos of Brazil. Then in the trunk and arms mixed double sculls, Dmytro Ivanov and Iryna Kyrychenko of Ukraine retained their World Champion title in commanding form.

Canada had to fight to the finish against reigning World Champions, Great Britain, to win the legs, trunk and arms mixed coxed four. There was no hiding the absolute delight displayed by the Canadians and absolute disappointment by the British.

In its second year as an adaptive World Championship event, the mixed coxed four for intellectually disabled athletes saw three countries compete for the medals. Last year’s winners, Hong Kong China did it again this year and they did it absolutely commanding form, winning by a full 20 seconds over the 1000m distance.
All gold medallists received a New Zealand carved greenstone pendant as well as their medal.

Racing today at the World Rowing Championships also included the intensity of blue riband semifinals in the men’s and women’s single sculls. World Champion, Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand raced against 2010 Rowing World Cup winner, Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic and the two scullers went head to head at the front of the field. After a level of foxing Drysdale finished ahead. There was also an element of foxing in the women’s single semifinal between Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus and Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic. The powerful Karsten finished first and will meet Knapkova again in the final.

The semifinals in the men’s pair had the much-awaited showdown between Great Britain’s Pete Reed and Andrew Triggs Hodge and New Zealanders Eric Murray and Hamish Bond. The two boats moved clear ahead of the rest of the field but neither was willing to show their full potential. They will meet again in the final.
The lightweight men’s four also raced the semifinal with the young Chinese crew surprising the punters by winning over some fierce competition that also saw Olympic Champions, Denmark being relegated to the B-final.