Lightweight Women's Single Sculls Final

Coming through from yesterday’s semifinals Greece’s Aikaterini Nikolaidou had the upper hand. Nikolaidou, 21, already has an enviable record. She is the reigning European Champion, the reigning under-23 Champion and finished second in this boat class at last year’s World Rowing Championships. What could the rest of the field do?

Germany’s Leonie Pless gave it a go by shooting out at the start and into the lead. This did not seem to have any impact on Nikolaidou’s confidence who then strided into the lead through the next quarter of the race. But margins remained tight with Pless sticking with Nikolaidou as well as Dorottya Bene of Hungary and Charlotte Taylor of Great Britain.

Nikolaidou then must have decided enough was enough and simply broke free of the pack to take a full boat length lead over Pless who was now in second. In the sprint to the line, however, the gap began to close on the Greek and making the biggest impact was Marie-Anne Frenken of the Netherlands. Frenken had been saving her best until last. Frenken was part of the winning lightweight quadruple sculls at last year’s World Rowing Championships and she was now really moving.

At the line Nikolaidou held off Frenken to finish first, Frenken took silver and Pless was the bronze medallist.  This race pushed Nikolaidou to a new European Best Time, five seconds faster than the one set in the semifinals, of 7:33.12.

Results: GRE, NED, GER, GBR, BEL, HUN

Gold – Aikaterini Nikolaidou – GRE

I’m proud and happy – second year I have won gold and each year it gets harder and harder. I felt a long way back in the first 500 metres in fourth or fifth, but I didn’t lose heart, and I found the strength to come back.

Silver – Leonie Pless – GER

I felt really good at the start of the race – in the middle I saw that Aikaterini was ahead so I started to try to catch her which was not my original plan.

Bronze – Marie-Anne Frenken – NED

I wanted to win. After last year I said I want to beat these girls.