Celebration marks 2018 World Rowing Awards

For immediate release
Berlin, 23 November 2018

In one extravaganza showcase, the World Rowing Award winners for 2018 were revealed.

Australia’s winning streak in the men’s four secured them the top award for the Men’s Crew of the Year. A continuing surge in Polish women’s rowing resulted in the women’s quadruple sculls winning Women’s Crew of the Year. New boat classes helped the Dutch PR2 mixed double sculls earn Para Crew of the Year. And Sri Lanka’s first ever international rowing award will go to university student Amidu Silva who is the winner the 2018 Filippi Spirit Award.

2018 World Rowing Men’s Crew of the Year
Joshua Hicks, Spencer Turrin, Jack Hargreaves, Alexander Hill, Men’s four, Australia
Since forming in 2017, this crew has gone unbeaten in the very competitive men’s four. The 2018 World Championship title came after a tight battle with Italy and Australia won by just a quarter of a second.  

2018 World Rowing Women’s Crew of the Year
Agnieszka Kobus-Zawojska, Marta Wieliczko, Maria Springwald, Katarzyna Zillmann, Women’s quadruple sculls, Poland
The Polish crew may not have been at the top of the podium early in the season but they never faltered from finding a spot. By the European Championships the crew was in top form and took away the gold. They followed this up by winning the 2018 World Rowing Championships in a time just two seconds outside of the World Best Time. To achieve this, they had to beat the Olympic Champions, Germany.

2018 World Rowing Para Crew of the Year
Annika van der Meer, Corne de Koning, PR2 mixed double sculls, the Netherlands
What a year it has been for van der Meer and de Koning. They raced at every opportunity and despite the 2000m distance being in just its second year, both scullers regularly doubled up to compete also in the PR2 single sculls. By the end of the season they had won the double and set a new World Best Time. De Koning had also won World Championship gold in the single and earlier in the season set the World Best Time in this boat.  

2018 World Rowing Coach of the Year
Dominic Casey, Ireland
Dominic Casey has helped put the small Irish town of Skibbereen on the map through rowing. He is the coach of the 2018 World Champion lightweight men’s double sculls of Paul and Gary O’Donovan. He coaches the 2017 lightweight men’s pair which in 2018 rowed successfully in the open men’s pair, Mark O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll. Casey is also the coach of the lightweight men’s quadruple sculls and lightweight women’s double sculls.

2018 Filippi Spirit Award
Amidu Silva, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
A top chemical engineering student, Silva proved to encapsulate World Rowing’s core values. Captain at his rowing club, Silva is a mentor to many club rowers. He most recently competed at the 2018 World University Championships and this award makes him the first Asian to win a major international rowing award.

2018 World Rowing Sustainability Award
Love Where you Row, Alan Robinson, Schuylkill Navy, Head of the Schuylkill, United States
New for 2018, this award recognises projects that are helping to safeguard the environment. Love Where you Row is in its fourth year and has helped clean up Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River. This ongoing venture included two major regattas that implemented a zero waste and zero litter initiative. 

2018 Distinguished Service to International Rowing
Borge Kaas Andersen, Denmark
Former Olympian for Denmark Kaas Andersen has remained committed to the sport of rowing. He has been a FISA Executive Committee member, a long-time chair of the FISA Umpiring Commission and an honorary member of the FISA Council. He has also coached, been an international umpired and served as the Chair of the Danish Rowing Federation.

The winners were announced at the World Rowing Awards dinner during the 2018 World Rowing Coaches Conference. This is being held in Berlin, Germany until 25 November. Coverage of the Awards dinner can be seen on World Rowing’s Facebook page here.