Strong performances, challenging conditions at 2016 European Rowing Championships

For immediate release
Brandenburg, 8 May 2016

The 2016 European Rowing Championships in Brandenburg, Germany began with over 500 athletes from 34 countries and ended with 23 nations earning medals. This is the widest medal spread ever at the European Rowing Championships which was first founded in 1893. The wind  today on the Beetzsee lake regatta course made for challenging rowing conditions but the talent of the field saw solid racing and stand-out performances.

In the women’s single, Austria’s Magdalena Lobnig rowed an exceptional race when she managed to pull clearly away from an incredibly talented field. Second behind Lobnig was Latvia’s Elza Gulbe followed by Sanita Puspure of Ireland.

Croatia earned two gold medals through success in the men’s double and single sculls. The World Champion Sinkovic brothers continued their two year winning streak in the men’s double with a commanding performance. Behind Valent and Martin Sinkovic was Germany’s Marcel Hacker and Stephan Krueger in the silver medal spot with Lithuania taking bronze.

Damir Martin of Croatia won the men’s single sculls by dominating from start to finish. Martin finished ahead of World Champion Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic who managed third in the tough conditions and Lithuania’s Mindaugas Griskonis who was second.

Overall at the top of the medals table was Great Britain. The British earned seven medals. Four of them were gold. This included their new-look men’s four of Alex Gregory, Mohamed Sbihi, George Nash and Constantine Louloudis at their first international outing together. This is likely to be the crew that aims to win their fifth straight Olympic gold at the Rio Olympics. Second and third went to Belarus and France respectively.  Both put in gutsy performances to earn their medals.

Great Britain’s Heather Stanning and Helen Glover continued to dominate the women’s pair leaving the rest of the field in their wake. Stanning and Glover’s win means they successfully defended their 2015 European title. Germany and Romania took second and third respectively.

Host nation Germany came second on the medals table gaining ten medals from the 17 boat classes that were contested. Three of these medals were gold including the men’s eight where a very appreciative crowd watched them overtake Russia just before the finish line. Russia took silver and World Champions Great Britain took bronze.

Croatia was third on the medals table with two gold medals and the Netherlands and Belarus finished fourth and fifth respectively.

The European Rowing Championships is open to the 43 European national rowing federations, including Israel. There are 17 boat classes (14 Olympic events plus three International events).

In 2017 the European Rowing Championships will take place in Racice, the Czech Republic.

 For details on rowing here. 
For free photos on Flickr here. 
For European Rowing Championship information here.