Rowing’s World Junior Championships complete huge eight-day Championship regatta

For immediate release
Rotterdam, 28 August 2016

The combined 2016 World Rowing Senior, Under 23 & Junior Championships in Rotterdam, the Netherlands concluded with the World Championships for rowers under 19 years of age. Racing in the 13 boat classes resulted in four new junior World Best Times set in a day of challenging tail wind conditions on the Willem-Alexander Baan Rowing Regatta course.

Italy topped the medal table including a gold in the women’s pair and a new junior World Best Time for the event. The crew of Caterina Di Fonzo and Aisha Rocek finished ahead of Denmark and the United States. Clara Guerra was the winner for Italy in the women’s single sculls. Guerra led from start to finish ahead of Germany’s Alicia Bohn who took silver. A late charge by Karolien Florijn of the Netherlands earned her the bronze medal. Italy’s remaining gold came in the men’s coxed four. They won gold ahead of Germany and the United States. Italy finished with a total of seven medals – three of them gold.  

Winning two gold and ten medals overall put Germany in second on the medals table. The German women’s four not only took gold, they also set a new junior World Best Time with a win over Italy and the United States. The second German gold was in the men’s eight when they went head to head with the United States right to the line, Germany winning by just 0.03 of a second over the US eight. Great Britain’s eight took bronze. The ten German medals meant that the nation was successful in all but three of the boat classes. Along with the two gold medals, Germany had seven silver and one bronze medal.

The Czech Republic finished third overall with two gold and one bronze medal. Czech success came in the women’s eight with a win over Germany and Italy. The second gold was in the men’s quadruple sculls, followed by Germany in the silver medal position and the United States took bronze.

Today’s junior championship racing concluded the eight-day regatta that included the World Rowing Under-23 Championships and the World Championships for Senior and Para-Rowing events that are not a part of the respective games. Nearly 1900 athletes competed from 71 nations making it the biggest World Championship event ever held.

For results, race reports and live blog go to www.worldrowing.com.