JUNE 22 - BRITAIN today took home the overall rowing World Cup, retaining its 2007 title, giving their Olympic prospects for Beijing a major boost.
The team left Poznan in Poland with three golds, a silver and a bronze, ensuring that David Tanner picked up the trophy from FISA president Denis Oswald (pictured).
The double scullers Elise Laverick and Anna Bebington stormed to victory after months of injury and illness.
Laverick said: “I was confident that if we led at halfway we would win."
The women's eight won bronze and the women's lightweight quad – a non-Olympic boat – won gold.
As the third and final stage of the 2008 Rowing World Cup series concluded Sunday under clear blue skies and near-perfect rowing conditions in Poznan, Poland, it was Great Britain that took home the overall Rowing World Cup, retaining its 2007 title. In the absence of a Chinese contingent, Germany and Great Britain vied for the top spot.
Germany amassed more points in this regatta with 41 against Great Britain’s 39, but it was not enough to overtake Great Britain for the title. Great Britain finished on 134 points overall, with Germany on 128 and China maintaining a top three position with 112.
New Zealand had a strong showing on the day, equalling Great Britain’s haul of three gold medals as well as its points tally. The A finals delivered exciting racing for spectators, with the Romanian women’s eight winning gold by a margin of one hundredth of a second over Canada and Great Britain just beating Germany to win bronze. In the lightweight men’s four, Italy and Australia raced for silver behind the French, with the Italians taking it by two hundredths of a second at the line.
Full race reports from the Rowing World Cup finals, as well as the A finals of yesterday’s international events are available on www.worldrowing.com.
