The year that was … women’s quadruple sculls

Best Race: The Rio Olympic final saw some of the most exciting racing of the year.  Poland got away and led the favourites, Germany for the majority of the race. Germany looked to be battling it out with the Netherlands and the Ukraine for the remaining medals through the first 1000m. But their class and experience saw Germany come through Poland in the last 500m.  Still one canvas down with 250m left to row, Germany closed on Poland. The Netherlands was keeping up.  Germany had timed their season to perfection and prevailed at the line to win Olympic gold.  A great surge from the Dutch saw them also taking the Poles on the line to claim silver.  There was excitement all around with all crews genuinely proud to win their history making medals.

Race: https://youtu.be/eFkJhuLHIr8

Disappointment:  It was in the Rio 2016 Olympic repechage, where happiness and despair where only split seconds apart.  With only one crew to miss out on the Olympic final the Netherlands and Poland finished a clear first and second.  A photo finish handed third place to China, 0.05 ahead of the United States. Australia was just 0.06 seconds behind and the only crew to be eliminated.  Australia had high expectations coming into Rio following their silver medal at World Rowing Cup III. Posting the fourth-fastest time in the heat and missing the medal race by such a close margin made it even tougher.  The race also brought an end to four-time Olympian Kerry Hore’s rowing career, who won bronze in the event in 2004 and finished fourth in London. 

Quotes:
“I don’t know that we are at the Olympics, it is unbelievable. It is a dream come true. I think I have been dreaming of this for 20 years.” – Julia Lier (GER) – gold 

“During the week we really progressed with this weather. I wanted to win the gold, but I think it was our best race, so I am happy with that.” –Carline Buow (NED) – silver 

The year in review: All three crews on the podium in Rio had shown their potential early in the season.  Germany held a legacy of winning in this boat class and leading up to Rio, the London 2012 silver medallists and 2013 and 2014 World Champions remained the top crew to look out for.  Germany were pushed into silver by the United States in 2015, but became the European Champions in 2016.

A crew change saw Lier come into the German boat and the crew won gold at the final World Rowing Cup in Poznan.  Poland, who had narrowly missed out on a medal in 2015, started the season strongly by winning gold over the Netherlands at the first World Rowing Cup and adding a silver medal at the European Rowing Championships.  The Polish crew of Maria Springwald, Janna Leszczynska, Agnieszka Kobus, and Monika Ciaciuch looked to be hot Olympic medal contenders.

The 2015 bronze medallists the Netherlands of Caroline Bouw, Inge Janssen, Nicole Beukers and Chantal Achterberg medalled at all three stages of the 2016 World Rowing Cup season and peaked just at the right time to take home their first ever Olympic medal in this event.

London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Ukraine finished off the year with a fourth place in Rio. The crew had rebuilt after the London Olympics and they won bronze at both the first World Rowing Cup as well as at the European Rowing Championships.  Ukraine, including London 2012 gold medallist Anastasia Kozhenkova, had secured their Rio spot at the last chance Final Olympic Qualification Regatta.

China won this boat class in Beijing 2008, but finished sixth in Rio with an Olympic-debutant crew, including the youngest athlete in the boat class, 19-year old Ling Zhang.  London 2012 bronze medallists and 2015 World Champions the United States had a disappointing finish to their Olympiad finishing fifth at Rio.