2001 FISA World Rowing Championships - Lucerne

A favourite venue of international rowers, Lucerne brought a festive feel to the FISA World Rowing Championships as tens of thousands lined the Rotsee to watch the action. The competition was tight and the course fast, new world records were set and new World Champions were created.

The new lightweight men’s coxless four world champions are the members of the Austrian quad after they beat World Cup champions Denmark and Olympic champions France. A favourite venue of international rowers, Lucerne brought a festive feel to the FISA World Rowing Championships as tens of thousands lined the Rotsee to watch the action. The competition was tight and the course fast, new world records were set and new World Champions were created.

The new lightweight men’s coxless four world champions are the members of the Austrian quad after they beat World Cup champions Denmark and Olympic champions France.

The French weren’t the only Olympic champions defeated, with Romania taking the men’s eight from Great Britain and Australia the women’s eight from Romania.

Sinead Jennings is the first Irish woman to become a world-rowing champion after taking gold in the lightweight women’s single sculls. Her win proved to be an inspiration for her countryman Sam Lynch who took the lightweight men’s single just under 15 minutes later.

It was a weekend of thrilling competition and a few narrow escapes, not least for James Cracknell and Matthew Pinsent of Great Britain who won double gold after two lucky escapes including a win by 0.02 seconds in the coxless pairs.

For 2001 World Championships information in a printable format, please click here.