Tallying Up the Medals ? World Junior Champs

Italy's four celebrate their win.
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The World Rowing Junior Championships on the Schinias course in Athens, Greece, doubled as the test event for rowing at next year's Olympic Games. It finished on Saturday with all fourteen races completed and medals distributed to 21 different nations.

In a rousing ceremony that took place after racing was over, Italy left with the biggest medal haul including gold for their men's and women's four and five other medals. Australia came second also with two golds and a total of three medals. Romania followed with two golds in the women's eight and quad. Russia and Great Britain round out the top five places.

Italy had boats starting in 11 of the 14 A-finals, some of which included an eight boat final, and left with medals in seven of the events. They repeat a number one overall ranking for the second year in a row. Last year at the Junior Championships in Trakai, Lithuania, the Italians finished with eight medals ahead of Romania and Australia.

Serbia & Montenegro dive for joy at the finish of the men's coxed pair.
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The former Yugoslavia, Serbia & Montenegro, won their first medal as a new nation winning gold in the men's coxed pair. And misfortune was reversed in the men's eight when the two boats that sank in the opening heats, Great Britain and the United States, came through in the final to take first and second place respectively.

Due to windy conditions the progression system to the final was adjusted and the repechage and final day course altered from 2000 to 1000 metres to make the most of better water.