Women’s Double Sculls (W2x) – Final

In yesterday’s semifinals New Zealand’s Brooke Donoghue and Olivia Loe recorded the fastest time. They also come to Lucerne after a win at last month’s World Rowing Cup. Today at the start it was Helene Lefebvre and Elodie Ravera-Scaramozzino of France One that had the lead. Lefebvre and Ravera-Scaramozzino had a great race yesterday to win their semi and they made it to the first 500m mark in the lead. But then Loe and Donoghue started to really find their pace and by the middle of the race the Kiwi duo not only had the lead but were also moving away from France One and the rest of the field.

France now found their second-place position under threat from Australia’s Olympia Aldersey and Madeleine Edmunds and also Lithuania’s Ieva Adomaviciute and Olympic medallist in this boat class, Milda Valciukaite. New Zealand had now moved out to an open water lead and were maintaining a faster speed than any other boat. As the rain fell France went to 39 and then France Two (Noemie Kober and Marie Le Nepvou) came storming through from the very back of the field at 41. New Zealand had won. Two French crews had grabbed the remaining medals.

Results: NZL, FRA1, FRA2, AUS, LTU, USA

Olivia Loe (s), New Zealand, gold
“That went to plan today. We worked really hard at the start to try and make some distance, make it a bit easier in the middle. I had my foot down the whole way, it never felt easy.”

Helene Lefebvre (b), France, silver
“We gave everything we had today. Everyone’s start was really quick. We are very happy to win silver today, we had only two weeks of preparation since the Olympics together. It is amazing for French rowing to have two doubles on the podium.”

Noemie Kober (b), France, bronze
“It was a good race, it was good to be just next to the Lithuanians as we were able to see their speed. In the last 500m we just pushed harder. We are proud of French rowing for have two doubles on the podium.”

B-final

It was Germany One that showed first in this b-final before Italy’s Kiri Tontodona and Stefania Gobbi pulled into the lead. Italy has done rather averagely through this regatta, but today they were giving it their all with Germany One the closest challengers. Tontodona and Gobbi rated 38 in the final sprint to hold off a real flurry behind them. Greece came storming through to grab second in a photo finish with the European Champions, the Czech Republic.

Results: ITA, GRE, CZE, GER1, NED, NOR