Oceania rivalry: women’s single sculls

Ekaterina Karsten. Her name was synonymous with the women’s single for more than a decade. Between 1996 and 2008, the Belarusian medalled at four consecutive Olympic Games, winning two Olympic gold medals as well as silver and bronze. Countless World Championship medals were placed around her neck over the years. Rumyana Neykova from Bulgaria, the World Best Time holder, and Germany’s Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski were her main competitors.

Karsten continued competing in the single until London 2012. At those Games, however, Karsten was no longer in the medals and the winner’s podium looked markedly different. A new bunch had come up through the ranks.

At the London Olympics, a talented Australian athlete impressed the world of rowing when she medalled in two events, in both the women’s single and in the women’s double sculls. Kim Crow has since focused on the single sculls and in 2013 she was crowned World Champion in this event.

Coming into the 2014 season, all eyes were again set on Australia’s talent. But there was also another rower from Oceania who had been building up her power and perfecting her rowing technique for a number of years. And so, in the women’s single, year 2014 would be largely about New Zealand and Australia.

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Kiwi rower Emma Twigg had been focusing on the single, almost exclusively, since 2005. Since launching her rowing career at senior level in 2007 she became a consistent finalist and regular medallist in the women’s single.

At the 2010 World Rowing Championships in Karapiro, New Zealand, Twigg won bronze on home waters. This was followed by another world bronze in 2011 and a silver medal in 2013.

By the first leg of the 2014 World Rowing Cup series in Sydney, Twigg was ready to send a strong message to the rest of the field.

From the opening strokes of the Sydney final, it was Crow, the reigning World Champion, who took the lead at a blistering pace. At the 500m mark the Australian was ahead of Twigg by nearly two boat lengths. At the half-way mark Crow still had a nearly four-second advantage. With 500m to go the Aussie was more than a boat length in front of the New Zealander. Despite this, Twigg remained unfazed. With the end of the race fast approaching, Twigg managed to overlap Crow’s stern. In the last ten strokes, Twigg found the power to move. The two scullers crossed the line in a photo finish. Twigg had done it. She had overtaken Crow and won.

With such a show of power, the single sculling field could expect more to come from Twigg. And sure enough, as each World Rowing Cup regatta ticked by, Twigg added another gold medal to her collection. Crow skipped the World Rowing Cup Aiguebelette but raced in Lucerne to finish in silver.

After the Lucerne final, Twigg said: “It is nice to come out with a third win. There is a strong group of girls and it is nice to have such a strong field, but it’s a challenge as well.”

After the race on the Rotsee, Crow said: “It is a good rivalry with Emma [Twigg]. We are pretty evenly matched. She has got the better of me the last couple of times. But it was a good race today. I do have a lot to improve on, but we have got time.”

During the 2014 World Cup season other female athletes also made their mark on the field of female single scullers. Austria’s Magdalena Lobnig, 24, made her appearance in the single in 2013, winning European silver and then going on to race the final at World Cup and World Championship level. Competing this year in Aiguebelette and Lucerne, she impressed the field with a fast and powerful start in the finals. Although unable to keep her intense pace until the end, she crossed the line in bronze at both regattas.

Chinese rower Jingli Duan has a history of competing in the double and in the quad. Back in 2010 she had a stint in the single, finishing eighth overall at the World Rowing Championships. This year Duan was back in the single. Entering two legs of the 2014 World Rowing Cup, Sydney and Aiguebelette, she took one silver medal and a bronze.

After finishing fourth in Sydney this year, reigning Olympic Champion medallist Mirka Knapkova went on to claim a European Champion title in Belgrade, Serbia. The Czech rower also competed at the last two legs of the World Rowing Cup but remained out of medal contention, again crossing the line in fourth position each time.

Leading up to the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, Twigg was the favourite, but it was still unclear whether Crow and Knapkova might step up for the most important regatta of the season. Crow took the lead early in the final, but Twigg caught up, overtook the Aussie and held on to first for the remaining three quarters of the race. Crow held on to second and in third was Duan.

Twigg’s extremely fluid and smooth technique had helped her earn the first senior World Champion title of her career. Later in the year she became the recipient of the World Rowing Female Rower of the Year Award.

“I felt confident but you never know what’s going to happen out there. I love racing Kim because you know it’s going to be a good boat race,” said Twigg after her gold-medal race. “I feel like I’ve stepped up this championship, I’ve learned what is good and what I have to work on,” said Crow. “In the first half I couldn’t row well so I left a big gap. It’s a pity,” said Duan.

Year 2015 will be another step up as these single scullers aim for Rio.

World Rowing Championships, Amsterdam, women’s single sculls final
World Rowing Cup III, Lucerne, women’s single sculls final

World Rowing Cup II, Aiguebelette, women’s single sculls final

World Rowing Cup I, Sydney, women’s single sculls final