Women's Double Sculls (W2x) - Final

The fastest time in the semifinals went to Greece’s Aikaterini Nikolaidou and Sofia Asoumanaki. But today they were facing the World Champions from New Zealand, Zoe Stevenson and Eve MacFarlane. At the start, however, it was the slower qualifiers, Germany that had the lead. A risky move – could they maintain it?

Julia Lier and Mareike Adams of Germany still had the lead at the half way point with the rather slow-starting New Zealanders now moving through into second. In the third 500, Germany looked like they were getting a bit tired and MacFarlane and Stevenson got their bow ball into the lead. The British duo of Olympic Champion Katherine Grainger and new partner, Victoria Thornley were having a great race down the outside. They were after a medal.

The field closed up in the final sprint with New Zealand still in the lead. Greece, at 42, was now storming for the line and Germany had also found another gear. At a 41 stroke rate, they were very much part of the fight for the medals. At the line New Zealand retained their World Championship title, Greece grabbed silver because of their sprint and Germany won bronze. The silver and bronze medallists from last year, Poland and Lithuania, had missed out.

Results: NZL, GRE, GER, POL, LTU, GBR

Zoe Stevenson (s) – NZL – gold
“We had an amazing season, this race was incredible. We only qualified the boat for Rio, today we wanted to show our coaches that our parternship is a good one.”

Aikaterini Nikolaidou – GRE – silver
“We hoped to have a medal after the results of the semis. The magic that makes us .. it is a junior and a former lightweight rower row fast together.”

Mareike Adams (s) – GER – bronze
“It’s incredible, in the first half we wanted to stay in front of the Lithuanians to have a good result. It’s my first time on the podium at the senior world champs. I am so proud of us, especially in the double, it is a great performance.