David Webster coxes the winners

Sunday 4 September
Australia hits double figures in record world championship display

The Australian Rowing Team has won two more medals on the final day of competition at the 2011 FISA World Rowing Championships in Bled, Slovenia to record its highest ever tally.

The lightweight men’s eight snatched gold on the line from Italy, while the men’s four won bronze to leave Australia with ten medals across the eight day regatta, including three gold, four silver and three bronze.

It eclipses Australia’s eight medals from last year and included a crucial five Olympic class and two Paralympic class medals in a strong sign of intent ahead of the London Games next year.

The lightweight men’s eight trailed Italy until the closing stages of the race before a last ditch push on the line led them to a 0.16 of a second victory in a time of 5:44.57.

Coxed by David Webster (VIC), the crew of Blair Tunevitsch (TAS), Tom Gibson (TAS), Alister Foot (TAS), Rod Chisholm (NSW), Nick Baker (TAS), Darryn Purcell (QLD), Tom Bertrand (VIC) and Ross Brown (WA) won Australia’s first gold medal event in the discipline since 1997.

Webster said the result was too close to tell on the line.

“To be honest when we hit the line I thought we might have been behind,” Webster said. “We gave them a bit going into the last 500m but produced a great finish.

“When the result came up on the screen it was incredible and the end of a lot of hard work from the boys.”

Australia’s men’s four swept to bronze in their final after getting a flying start to set the tone of the race through 500m.

Joshua Dunkley Smith (VIC), Nicholas Purnell (NSW), Drew Ginn (VIC) and Sam Loch (NSW) were second behind Great Britain heading into the final quarter of the race but were not quite able to hold off Greece, before crossing the line to win bronze in a time of 5:58.44.

Triple Olympic gold medallist Ginn, 37, added to the eight world championship medals he had already won in his decorated career, while Dunkley Smith, Purnell and Loch won their first world championship medal in a coxless four, having won bronze as part of the men’s eight last year.

Ginn, who will aim for his fourth Olympic gold medal next year in London paid credit to his young crew.

“We took a fantastic step towards London next year,” Ginn said. “It would have been disappointing not to come here this year and perform and we are all pretty committed.

“All these guys are great young talents and they have really reinvigorated the whole squad.”

22-year-old Dunkley Smith said the crew’s quick start had been key.

“The Greek guys have been going out pretty quickly and getting a start on crews so we wanted to challenge that,” Dunkley Smith said.

“I think after a bit of down time this afternoon we will back into it tomorrow and looking to improve on this year’s work. We’ve come a long way this year and I’m as fit as I’ve ever been.

“Next year we’re really looking to take it up again.”

In the final Australian race of the regatta, the lightweight women’s double scull crew of Hannah Every-Hall (QLD) and Alice McNamara (VIC) finished fifth in the A Final.

Every-Hall and McNamara crossed the line just over a second outside the bronze medal position in a time of 7:05.70, with Greece winning the gold medal ahead of Canada and Great Britain.

In an eye catching performance at the world championships Australia firmly stated its intentions for next year.

Australian crews reached 16 A Finals in the 18 events it competed in, which led to the record breaking ten medals the team picked up.

In Olympic class boats Australia ranked third behind Great Britain and New Zealand, while in total medals won Australia finished equal second with Germany, four behind Great Britain’s 14.

The team qualified 10 of the 11 boats it attempted to qualify for the 2012 London Olympic Games, while both adaptive crews won qualification for the 2012 London Paralympic Games.

Rowing Australia National High Performance Director Andrew Matheson said the team had built good momentum ahead of London next year.

“We are really pleased with our work at the regatta and it is a great step forward for us ahead of London next year,” Matheson said. “Across all boat classes our crews put their hands up and showed what the team is capable of.

“We have received great support from the Australian Government through the Australian Sports Commission, as well as the Australian Institute of Sport, and the high performance funding received has certainly been a factor behind our success.

“The team will now move on from this regatta, re-assess and then firmly fix our sights on London next year.”

Rowing Australia will hold two rounds of selection trials at the Sydney International Regatta Centre, before nominating its team to the Australian Olympic Committee next April.

The first round of selection trials will be held in December (16–18), before the final round of trials is held from March 23–April 1 next year.

Australian medallists

Lightweight Men’s Four – GOLD
Men’s Quad Scull – GOLD
Lightweight Men’s Eight - GOLD
Women’s Double Scull – SILVER
Women’s Four – SILVER
Men’s Coxed Pair – SILVER
Men’s Four - BRONZE
Women’s Pair – BRONZE
Arms, Shoulders Men’s Single Scull – BRONZE
Trunk and Arms Mixed Double Scull - BRONZE