21 Sep 2022
7:07.71 - Twenty years of the Women's Single Sculls World Best Time
The longest standing current World Best Time (WBT) in a current Olympic or Paralympic boat class is that of Rumyana Neykova from the A-Final of the Women’s Single Sculls at the 2002 World Rowing Championships in Seville, Spain.
A wicked fast 7:07.71, Neykova had beaten the previous WBT set by Ekaterina Karsten in 1999 by four seconds.
Neykova had been back in a boat for not even nine months at that point. After having her son Emil in August of 2001, she waited until January of 2002 to get back into the shell.
That A-Final was a controlled, consistent race. “I was very calm and relaxed before the start as I was up against both the Olympic Champion (Karsten) and the World Champion (Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski). I had nothing to lose.” she said after the race.
Setting the WBT came as a bonus to Neykova and she admits she was surprised to achieve it. “I was looking to win gold, not to set a best time.” But she points out that the previous record holder, Karsten, had also set the record after having a baby, so Neykova says it was her turn.
Neykova believes that the birth of her son had been a bonus to her both physically and mentally.
Working with her coach and husband, Svilen Neykov, the gold medal and World Best Time came after Neykova just missed out on the bronze medal at the 2000 Olympic Games.
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