Olympic Rowing: Photo finishes and high emotions on rowing’s final day of racing

For immediate release
Rio de Janeiro, 13 August 2016

A stunning day at the Rio 2016 Olympic Rowing Regatta on the iconic Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas saw rowing’s blue riband boat classes –  the men’s and women’s single sculls and men’s and women’s eights – take races to breath-taking finishes and one Olympic Best Time.

A capacity crowd cheered on the best rowers in the world at Olympic rowing’s final day of racing. A photo finish and an Olympic Best Time determined the men’s single sculls. New Zealand’s Olympic Champion Mahe Drysdale was challenged by single sculling newcomer Damir Martin of Croatia to the very last stroke. The photo finish gave Drysdale gold and an Olympic Best Time. Martin, who is a silver medallist from London in the men’s quadruple sculls, was just three centimeters (one inch) away in silver position, followed by 2015 World Champion Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic who took bronze.

Australia’s Kimberly Brennan raced a bold race in the women’s single sculls leading from the start and held off all competition until the finish line. Genevra Stone of the United States rowed to a silver medal and world bronze medallist Jingli Duan of China earned bronze.

United States women’s eight made it three Olympic golds in a row today. The crew of Emily Regan, Kerry Simmonds, Amanda Polk, Lauren Schmetterling, Tessa Gobbo, Meghan Musnicki, Eleanor Logan, Amanda Elmore and Katelin Snyder continues the unbeaten record in this category since 2006 under the guidance of coach Tom Terhaar. The United States had to push through a fast-starting Canada to get in the lead. Great Britain took silver in the country’s first-ever medal in this boat class and 2004 Olympic Champions Romania won bronze.

Finishing off the day of racing, Great Britain with Scott Durant, Tom Ransley, Andrew Triggs-Hodge, Matt Gotrel, Pete Reed, Paul Bennett, Matt Langridge, William Satch and Phelan Hill led from start to finish in the men’s eight ahead of defending Olympic Champions Germany. The British last won gold in the eight in 2000. The Germans held on to silver with the Netherlands taking bronze.

Overall Great Britain topped rowing’s medal table with three golds and two silvers from the 14 boat classes contested. Germany and New Zealand tied for second both winning two golds and a silver. Australia was fourth with one gold and two silvers and the Netherlands was fifth with one gold, one silver and one bronze.

Overall 21 countries won medals from the eight-day regatta that began on 6 August and went through two days of postponements due to windy weather that made the regatta course unrowable. Today was sunny with light winds to end the regatta on a high note.

For full results, race reports, live blog, photos and the medals table go to www.worldrowing.com