Germany impresses at 2011 World Rowing Junior Championships
The 2011 World Rowing Junior Championships in Eton Dorney, Great Britain wrapped up with Germany showing their junior strength.
Today's racing saw seven finals raced with Germany taking four gold medals. Both the men's and women's single sculls went to Germany with last year's winner in the junior double sculls Stephan Riemekasten winning the men's and Anne Beenken taking the women's. But Beenken's win was overshadowed by Holly Nixon of Ireland who, at her first international event, became the first ever Irish to win a medal at the junior championships when she took silver in the women's single. She finished less than a second behind Beenken and indicated that this was just the beginning of her international rowing career.
After missing the podium in the last few years at the junior level, Romania looks to be back to full strength after today's racing. Vlad-Dragos Aicoboae and Toader-Andrei Gontaru of Romania led the way by rowing a strong and confident race to gold in the men's pair. Aicoboae and Gontaru showed their emotion on the medals podium, not hiding their joy in winning.
Romania also won the men's quadruple sculls after they went head-to-head with the Italians over the 2000m 2012 Olympic regatta course. Italy picked up the silver with Germany taking bronze.
The Lithuanian's took gold in the women's double sculls when Milda Valciukaite teamed up with the statuesque 16 year old Ieva Adomoviciute. The duo took Germany by surprise by finishing first with last year's World Champions, France coming in third.
Germany's tally at the end of the two days of racing was an impressive 10 medals from the 13 events. Six of Germany's medals were gold. Romania finished second overall with Italy taking third.
Todays A Final results
JM2-: ROU, ESP, GRE, GER, SRB, RSA
JW2x: LTU, GER, FRA, ESP, CAN, RSA
JM2x: GER, FRA, CZE, SUI, SLO, GBR
JM4x: ROU, ITA, GER, NZL, NED, HUN
JW1x: GER, IRL, LAT, ITA, DEN, CZE
JM1x: GER, GRE, UKR, IRL, LAT, SUI
JW8+: GER, ROU, USA
Yesterday's A Final results
JW4-: USA GBR NZL ITA GER CAN
JM4+: AUS NZL ITA UKR GER GBR
JW2-: ITA GER GRE ROU FRA USA
JM4-: GER ESP ROU BLR SRB CRO
JW4x: GER NED ROU USA BLR ITA
JM8+: ITA GBR GER ESP USA CZE
Next year the World Rowing Junior Championships joins with the non-Olympic Senior Championships and will be held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria from 14 - 19 August, 2012.
To compete in the World Rowing Junior Championships, rowers must be 18 years of age or under. An athlete can compete as a junior until 31 December of the year in which s/he reaches the age of 18. After that date s/he shall be classified an Under 23 rower.
The World Rowing Junior Championships is partly subsidised by the rowers who take part in the World Rowing Masters Regatta which donates 1 Euro of every Masters Regatta entry fee to support youth rowing.