Keeping us guessing; women’s double review

Trying to predict a winner was turning into a guessing game. Some crews surprised by missing out on medals when it looked like they had the background to be at the top, while others came through to medal in the last strokes.

The World Rowing review of 2014 continues with a relook at the crews that stood out in the women’s double sculls.

In the years leading up to the 2012 Olympic Games, Great Britain owned the women’s double sculls event. This began with the 2010 World Rowing Cup in Bled, Slovenia when Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins took gold and continued on their gold medal adventure which culminated with Olympic gold in London.

During that same period, an Australian duo scored results just as systematically behind the British. From 2010 to 2012 Kim Crow and Kerry Hore took silver in every World Rowing Cup and World Rowing Championship final that they competed in, concluding with Olympic silver at London 2012. Their Olympic achievement was all the more impressive that Crow doubled up to race to bronze in the women’s single sculls at those same Games.

With Grainger and Watkins retiring post-London and Crow and Hore moving into different boats, possibilities opened up for new combinations in the women’s double. So far in this Olympic cycle a number of promising partnerships have come to the fore.  

While 2013 was Lithuania’s year with Milda Valciukaite and Donata Vistartaite, 2014 highlighted other high-potential crews just as eager and capable of making their mark in the lead up to Rio 2016.

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As the World Rowing Cup season opened, Australia’s new-look boat of Sally Kehoe and Olympia Aldersey led the way by winning gold in both Sydney and Aiguebelette. But a tight field in the Lucerne final and a phenomenal push in the last 200m by New Zealand placed the Aussies out of medal contention. The Kiwi duo of Fiona Bourke and Zoe Stevenson had found the power to move up the ranks from fifth in the concluding quarter of the race. The 2013 world silver medallists proved they were back to fight and that finishing seventh a few weeks earlier in Aiguebelette was not a sign of things to come.

Crossing the line not far behind the Kiwis in Lucerne was the Polish boat of Magdalena Fularczyk and Natalia Madaj. After racing in the quadruple sculls in Sydney, the Poles switched to the double and launched their 2014 partnership in golden fashion at the European Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. A few weeks later in Aiguebelette, they made the podium in bronze. In Lucerne, the Poles led for a greater part of the race, but the pressure in the last 200m pushed them back into third behind Lithuania. “It was terrific for us, for 1,800m,” said Fularczyk after the race. “But the last 200m were a horror. New Zealand were all the way in lane six and we could not see them until the very end. But this is very good for our third time out together.”

The Lithuanians were also very much in form throughout the 2014 season. Valciukaite and Vistartaite took silver in Sydney at the first World Rowing Cup and then again at the European Rowing Championships. In Lucerne, after a steady performance in the final, they added a third silver medal to their 2014 collection. “It was very tough,” said Vistartaite after the final. “I could barely square my blade at the end, but it was not a bad result. We really fought. All the strong crews were here today, so we will see about Amsterdam. It will be tough, and it will be interesting.”

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With New Zealand defeating the field and Australia missing the podium in Lucerne, uncertainty arose about Amsterdam. Would this be a Kiwi one-off? Would Lithuania pull off the gold when it really counted? Would Australia find their way back onto the podium? Would Poland be able to shake off New Zealand next time? Would any other crews surprise?

When New Zealand lost their heat in Amsterdam and had to go through the repechage to qualify for the semifinal, the uncertainty thickened. Then Kehoe and Aldersey set a new World Best Time of 6:37.31 in their semifinal and suddenly became the crew to beat.

In the final, Australia took the lead and stayed there for most of the race, but New Zealand was about to impress again. Moving up the ranks and putting in an overwhelming push when it counted most, the Kiwis crossed the line in gold. Poland had raced steadily in second and took silver while Australia, expecting the challenge, held on to the podium in bronze. Vistartaite and Valciukaite were unable to hold the pace and finished in fourth.

These crews will likely step up another notch in 2015 as Olympic qualification looms ahead. 

2014 World Rowing Championships, women’s double sculls final:

World Rowing Cup III, Lucerne (SUI), women’s double sculls final: