Adaptive Rowers become World Champions

Brown and Madsen defend their title
© Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

By Melissa Bray

Included in the 1,000 athletes taking part in the World Rowing Championships in Banyoles, Spain were the adaptive events that concluded with finals racing on Sunday 1 August.

Adaptive boat classes are divided according to the individuals' rowing functionality and rowers from 14 countries – up from 11 last year – competed in three events in the third year of inclusion in the World Rowing Championships programme.

The racing started with the legs, trunk and arms mixed coxed four over a distance of 1000 metres and clearly out in front was Great Britain who won in Milan last year. They had a comfortable lead over the Netherlands by the half way point and went on to take the gold with the Netherlands easily in second ahead of Portugal who pick up the bronze.

Raced over 1000 metres the trunk and arms double sculls saw defending World Champions, Angela Madsen and Scott Brown of the United States showing their superior skills and dominating this event from start to finish. This led Christophe Somme and Michele Amiel of France to race for second in their first year at the World Championship level while last year's silver medalists Italy held on for third.

The racing concluded with the arms men's single scull over a distance of 500 metres. Last year's World Champion Peter Taylor of Australia showed he was back in medal winning form when he left the rest of the field behind to successfully defend his title. Taylor kept ahead of Great Britain's Rob Holliday who had to fight for second in a photo finish with Ron Harvey of the United States and Richard Vander Wal of Canada. Holliday won silver for a second year while Harvey took the bronze.