The new World Rowing Champions for 2014 are crowned

For immediate release
Amsterdam, 31 August 2014

The 2014 World Rowing Championships has concluded with 27 World Championship titles being presented at the Bosbaan regatta course in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The regatta began a week ago when over 1100 athletes from 60 nations started their regatta journey. After four days of finals the medals have been spread over 26 countries with New Zealand coming out as the most successful nation.

New Zealand took gold in six events making it the most successful World Rowing Championships for the country ever. Great Britain finished second with four gold medals ahead of Germany and Australia with two golds each.

New Zealand’s gold medals were boosted by Hamish Bond and Eric Murray. The duo became the only rowers to capture two golds at this regatta when they won both the men’s pair and the men’s coxed pair. Emma Twigg took her first senior World Championship title when she finished first in the women’s single sculls, beating 2013 World Champion, Kim Crow of Australia to the line. The women’s double sculls duo of Zoe Stevenson and Fiona Bourke came from the back of the field to finish first pushing Poland’s Magdalena Fularczyk and Natalia Madaj and Sally Kehoe and Olympia Aldersey of Australia into second and third respectively.

Gold also went to New Zealand in the women’s four and a surprise gold to Julia Edward and Sophie MacKenzie in the lightweight women’s double sculls. Both crews set a new World Best Time in their respective boat classes.

Second on the medals table, Great Britain was especially successful in sweep rowing boat classes with both the men’s four and men’s eight winning the top titles. Olympic Champions Heather Stanning and Helen Glover continued to dominate in the women’s pair with the nation’s fourth gold going to the para mixed coxed four (LTAMix4+) – a boat class that Great Britain has dominated in recent years.

Great Britain’s medal tally was the highest of all countries earning a total of ten medals. As well as gold they won four silver and two bronze medals.

Last year’s overall winner, Australia finished third equal with two gold, three silver and three bronze medals. Australia’s gold medals came in the para-rowing boat classes where they had success in the para men’s single sculls (ASM1x) and the para TA mixed double sculls (TAMix2x).

Germany, also with two gold medals, had success in the women’s quadruple sculls with the crew successfully defending their 2013 title ahead of China. The second gold came in lightweight men’s eight, a title the country last won in 2012.

Highlights of the regatta included Croatia’s Sinkovic brothers in the men’s double sculls. The duo of Martin and Valent Sinkovic recorded a new World Best Time during the semifinals and then led the final with a dominating margin. Ukraine was a crowd-pleaser when they won the men’s quadruple sculls. The crew, stroked by Olympian Ivan Dovgodko, also set a new World Best Time.

Belgium took their first ever women’s World Championship title when Eveline Peleman broke away in the lightweight women’s single sculls to cross the line in first. Turkey also achieved a first when they medalled in the lightweight men’s eight. This is the first ever medal for Turkey at a senior World Championship event.

At the end of the regatta the FISA flag was handed to Aiguebelette, France which will play host to the 2015 World Rowing Championships that will double as the Olympic and Paralympic Qualification Regatta.

For full race reports, photos, videos and results go to www.worldrowing.com