Knapkova and Cop capture Challenge Cup

The Philadelphia Challenge Cup has been reinstated in all of its former glory and two new champion challengers have been crowned. Iztok Cop of Slovenia and Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic are the 2011 winners of their respective single sculling race.

Held in Philadelphia, United States as part of the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta – the largest university regatta in North America – the Philadelphia Challenge Cup has returned to the rowing calendar after a long hiatus. First raced in 1920, the Challenge Cup, also known as the Gold Cup, came about with the intention of honouring the world champion in the men’s single.  The first winner was John B. Kelly Sr. who was from Philadelphia and was the Olympic Champion in the single that same year. 

The Challenge Cup was last raced in the 1966 due to dwindling support and the winners’ cup subsequently disappeared. The Cup was found over 30 years later but it took until 2011 for the race to be reinstated and with the addition of the Challenge Cup for women. Cop, Olympic Champion in the men’s double (Sydney 2000) won the men’s Gold Cup race ahead of top United States sculler Ken Jurkowski. Current World Champion, Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic could only manage third with Cop’s partner from the 2000 Olympics, Luka Spik finished fourth.

The women’s race for the Gold Cup turned the results of last year’s World Rowing Championships on their head with current World Champion, Frida Svensson of Sweden finishing third. Instead it was Knapkova, who finished fourth last year, ending up in the winning position and by a comfortable margin. Former World Champion and Olympic Champion Ekaterina Karsten-Khodotovitch of Belarus was second with Serbia’s Iva Obradovic in fourth place. 

There were four entries in each race with organisers inviting only the very best from the world of single sculling. The scullers raced over a 2000m distance on Philadelphia’s slightly winding Schuylkill River.

Cop and Knapkova both won US$10,000 for their win, with second place taking away US$5,000 and third place earning US$2,500.