Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x) – Final

Winners of World Rowing Cup III, New Zealand’s Zoe McBride and Jackie Kiddle sat in the middle lane. They won their semifinal earlier in the week along with the United States crew of Emily Schmeg and Michelle Sechser. At the start Poland’s Weronika Deresz and Joanna Dorociak got a slight lead. But the margins were tight and all six boats hit the 500m mark within a second of each other. Then Romania’s Ionela-Livia Lehaci and Gianina-Elena Beleaga began to show. The Romanians were now in the lead with New Zealand and the United States sticking with them.

The final sprint was on and it was barely possible to separate three crews. Romania had a small advantage as all three boats went into a high 30s stroke rate. They looked exhausted. Which crew could hold themselves together til the line? Lehaci and Beleaga got to the line first in a time just eight seconds shy of a World Best Time. McBride and Kiddle and Schmieg and Sechser waited for the photo finish decider. New Zealand had taken silver by 0.29 of a second.

Results: ROU, NZL, USA, POL, GBR, DEN

Gianina-Elena Beleaga (s), Romania, gold
“I asked someone on the boat which place we came because I had no idea. I was so happy when I heard we came first.”

Zoe McBride (b), New Zealand, silver
“Last 150m was just tunnel vision, I said to Jackie, go go go. It was the best race we could have done today.”

Emily Schmieg (b), United States of America, bronze
“We’ve discussed our race plan so many times so right now it was just time to execute. The roar of the crowd is amazing this was the first worlds our parents came for and I’m so happy we rowed well for them.”

B-final

France had the fastest qualifying time coming through to this B-final, missing out on making the A-final by just a couple of seconds. They sat next to China. France took the lead at the start before Italy’s Allegra Francalacci and Valentina Rodini got out in front. The Italians and French then went head-to-head at the front of the field, neither of them giving an inch. A fraction of a better sprint by Claire Bove and Laura Tarantola of France gave them the win.

Results: FRA, ITA, GER, CHN, GRE, RUS