A flurry of best times for the first A-Finals of the 2022 World Rowing Cup II

Poznan’s Lake Malta was once again site of exceptional racing and some new world best times as rowers competed in the first day of A-Finals at the 2022 World Rowing Cup II.

PR2 Women’s Single Sculls (PR2 W1x) – Final

In another stroke of Irish luck, Katie O’Brien set a second world best time in as many days. Having improving the 10:13.63 standard set in 2018 to 9:32.09 in yesterday’s test race, O’Brien lowered that number again to 9:14.65. Ukrainian scullers Svitlana Bohuslavska and Anna Aisanova both finished ahead of the 2018 standard to round out the field but could not keep up with O’Brien’s world-beating pace.

Result: IRL, UKR2, URK1

World Best Time: 9:14.65, Katie O’Brien (IRL)

PR2 Men’s Single Sculls (PR2 M1x) – Final

Corné De Koning set a new world best time of 8:20.61 to take gold in the PR2 men’s single. Surging ahead in the first quarter of the race, De Koning extended his lead stroke after stroke to finish almost 10 seconds ahead of Italian scullers Daniele Stefanoni and Gian Filippo Mirabile, who crossed the line a little more than a second apart for silver and bronze. Germany, Latvia and France rounded out the field.

Results: NED, ITA2, ITA1, GER, LAT, FRA

World Best Time: 8:20.61, Corné De Koning (NED)

PR3 Women’s Pair (PR3 W2-) – Final

Italy’s Ludovica Tramontin and Greta Elizabeth Muti crossed the line over a minute ahead of Elur Alberdi and Erika Sauzeau of France.  The Italian duo raced masterfully in choppy condition too an early lead and extended their distance ahead of France throughout the race.

Result: ITA, FRA

PR3 Men’s Pair (PR3 M2-) – Final

After setting a new world best time (7:07.6) in yesterday’s test race, Jerome Hamelin and Laurent Cadot of France improved the record again. The time of 6:52.08 is the first sub-7 minutes performance in this event over 2000 metres.  Back in the pack, Ukraine’s Andrii Syvykh and Dmytro edged their bow out to silver position ahead of third place India’s Narayana Konganapalle and Kuldeep Singh with Italy in close pursuit.

Result: FRA, UKR, IND, ITA

World Best Time: 6:52.08, Jerome Hamelin and Laurent Cadot (FRA)

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x) – Final

In a hotly contested final, it was a battle of bows between Germany’s Marie-Louise Drager and Mary Jones of the United States for the first half of the course. At the thousand meter mark Jones surged ahead to a clear lead and on to victory. Meanwhile Drager fell back into another raging contest for silver where Georgia Nesbitt of Australia caught her at the line.

Result: USA, AUS, GER, CAN1, SUI2, CAN2

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (LM1x) – Final

There was little doubt of the clear leaders in this A-Final as Ireland’s Fintan McCarthy blasted through the first 1500 metres, trailed closely by Matthew Dunham of New Zealand. In the final 500 metres, Dunham surged ahead to take gold with McCarthy in silver position. Meanwhile, in the race for bronze, Uruguay’s Felipe Kluver Ferreira pushed through from fifth place to third and a step on the podium in the final quarter ahead of strong racing from Bulgaria and two Polish scullers.

Result: NZL, IRL1, URU2, BUL, POL2, POL1

Lightweight Men’s Quadruple Sculls (LM4x) – Final

Denmark left no question of their intent to claim gold in this event from the first stroke. The crew of Rasmus Soendergaard Konnerup, Johannes Jackobsen, Johan Poulsen and Magnus Oddershede raced smoothly over the chop to finish almost two seconds ahead of Ukraine and Thailand, who were separated by a mere 0.2 seconds.

Results: DEN, UKR, THA

Racing continues tomorrow, 19 June, with the remaining B and A-Finals at the 2022 World Rowing Cup II. Be sure to follow along with results updates and live streamed video of the racing.