Junior rowing history made at Henley

In the absence of the majority of Olympic-bound crews, American universities ruled the eights events, and under-23 crews aiming for the World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Trakai, Lithuania in just over a week’s time also shone.

Henley Rowing Club became the first junior women to win at Henley Royal Regatta in the Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls and they did it in style on their home stretch of water. They beat Canford School, Great Britain by 2 ½ lengths in the final on Sunday in a time of 8:44.
In the men’s eights events, the elite Grand Challenge Cup and the intermediate Ladies Challenge Plate were both won by American crews, the Grand itself being an all-American final. California Rowing Club dismissed Brown University by 1 ¼ lengths in the final of the elite eights whilst in a thrilling race in the Ladies Challenge Plate, Havard University rowed through Leander Club in the dying metres to win by just one foot in a time of 6:33, at time three seconds faster than the elite event.

Australian crews will be very happy with a hat-trick of victories in elite events. It was a down-under battle in the men’s four, the Stewards Challenge Cup, as under-23 crews representing Australia and New Zealand faced each other. Australia got the advantage early on, and won by 2/3 of a length over the Kiwis, representing Waiariki Rowing Club. The Australian women’s quadruple sculls, who are also the under-23 crew competing in Trakai, saw off the Olympic women’s crew from The Netherlands with considerable ease, leading from the start to win with an official verdict of “easily”. The third trophy was won in the men’s quadruple sculls, the Queen Mother Challenge Cup, against the Canadian club Victoria City Rowing Club by a small margin of 2/3 of a length.

The Princess Royal Challenge Cup, the women’s single sculls, was contested by a field of talent, including Sanita Puspure of Ireland, the only Irish boat to have qualified for the Olympic Rowing Regatta, under-23 Estonian Kaisa Pajusalu and Italy’s Laura Schiavone, as well as lightweights Imogen Walsh of Great Britain and Alice McNamara of Australia. However it was Isolda Penney of Canada, who last competed internationally in 2010, who took the honours, dispensing Puspure on Saturday in the semifinal, and winning the final on Sunday “easily” against Pajusalu.

In the Diamond Sculls, the men’s single sculls, Peter Lambert of South Africa took home the honours, beating Graeme Thomas in the final. Thomas is part of the GB Rowing Team, and recently finished fourth at the third stage of the 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup series, whilst Lambert finished eighth at the second stage of the Samsung World Rowing Cup. British under-23 sculler Jonathan Walton put in a good performance to make the semifinals on Saturday to be thwarted by Thomas, whilst Andrew Campbell was beaten by Lambert at the same stage.

The men’s pair was contested by several crews who have not qualified for the Olympic Games including Michael Blomquist and James Koven of the United States of America, Daniel Ritchie and Tom Broadway of Great Britain and France’s Michael Molina and Benjamin Lang. Molina and Lang, who had an extraordinary race with Ritchie and Broadway in the semifinal to make the final, beat Greece’s Konstantinos Christomanos and Apostolos Lampridi to win the Silver Goblets and Nickalls’ Challenge Cup “easily”.

The women’s eight event, the Remenham Challenge Cup, was won by a senior development crew from Western Rowing Club, Canada. They saw off the German national women’s eight, who have recently qualified for the Olympic Games, by two lengths.

The elite Double Sculls Challenge Cup was won by John Collins and Alan Sinclair of Leander Club. Collins has competed for Great Britain at under-23 level, and this duo are likely to stay together for the remainder of the season. Leander Club, who won six trophies last year, won another trophy in the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup, the intermediate men’s quad.  Leander Club has won the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup for the last three years.

A gusty, unpredictable headwind and strong stream meant racing conditions were difficult and times were slow at the regatta, especially for lightweight athletes. Whilst the sun was mostly shining and temperatures warm, the occasional shower did nothing to dampen the spirits of the thousands of spectators who attended the regatta over the five days

Raced over 2112m, Henley Royal Regatta is an annual event and this was the 163rd edition.

For full results of 2012 Henley Royal Regatta click here.