Winning is Never Dull says Karsten

Two-time Olympic women’s single sculls champion Ekaterina Karsten took her second 2001 Zurich Rowing World Cup title in Vienna on Sunday but says she never gets sick of winning.

Karsten was in the unusual situation of being behind for much of the final, as Germany’s Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski got the best of the rough water and strong headwind early on.

But the 28-year-old Belarussian said it felt good to eventually get the better of the weather as well as of the competition.

“This weather! I don’t like the waves so I’m happy that I won,” she said.

“Winning is new and interesting every time!”

Karsten said she did not feel threatened by Rutschow-Stomporowski’s early lead because she knew the German would also struggle with the weather.

“In good conditions I would have been a bit worried but it was hard for everyone here. Either of us could have won.”

Rutschow-Stomporowski did not train last week as she took the final exams for her fashion design course and missed the two earlier World Cup regattas to study.

She said she was glad to be back but battled with the conditions.

“(In the conditions), it was more about concentrating on yourself in order to get through the race than on the opposition,” she said.

Rutschow-Stomporowski will now concentrate on preparing for the FISA World Rowing Championships in Lucerne next month.

The final regatta in the Zurich Rowing World Cup series takes place in Munich from July 13-15.

Belarus currently leads the women’s single sculls points standings, with Russia second and Germany third.