Twenty nations won European Championship medals and seven crews set new European Best Times over the three-day, 2015 European Rowing Championship regatta in Poznan, Poland.
In fast rowing conditions, Great Britain finished at the top of the medals table for a second year with medal wins in ten of the 17 European Championship boat classes; six being gold medals. Helen Glover and Heather Stanning continued to dominate the women’s pair and their win also saw them set a new European Best Time. The new lightweight women’s double sculls line up of Katherine Copeland and Charlotte Taylor won their race and gold medals also came in the men’s four, lightweight men’s pair, lightweight women’s single sculls and men’s pair.
Second on the medals table, Germany took gold in the women’s quadruple sculls, men’s double sculls and the men’s eight. The win in the men’s double of former single sculler Marcel Hacker and Stephan Krueger proved to be popular as it showed continued success of the experienced Hacker. The men’s eight finished first in a new European Best Time and pushed World Champions Great Britain into second place.
The gold medal for French lightweight men’s double sculls of Jeremie Azou and Stany Delayre helped France finish third on the medals table. Azou and Delayre also set a new European Best Time.
After setting a European Best Time in the semi-final yesterday, Croatia’s Damir Martin went on to not only win the men’s single sculls ahead of World Champion Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic, but also break his own European Best Time. Martin reduced the time by a huge five seconds.
The women’s single sculls title was successfully defended by 2012 Olympic Champion Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic. Knapkova came through from the back of the field to finish ahead of Switzerland in second and Belarus in third.
Fourth on the medals table, Russia, took an impressive gold medal in the women’s eight when they broke an eight-year winning streak by Romania. Romania had to settle for third behind the Netherlands.
The European Rowing Championships, first staged in 1893, is in its ninth year since its re-launch in 2007. This is the third year it has been raced at the early season time slot of May and this has seen a steady growth in standards and participation. A total of 36 European nations took part this year.
In 2016 the European Rowing Championships will take place in Brandenburg, Germany.
For information about rowing go to http://www.worldrowing.com. For information specific to the European Rowing Championships go to http://www.worldrowing.com/events/2015-european-rowing-championships/
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