Women's Single Sculls - Final

The favourite no doubt was Australia’s best Olympic gold medal hope in rowing, Kim Brennan. This is Brennan’s first international regatta for the 2016 season and as the reigning World Champion all of the crews wanted to know how they could stand up against her.

Brennan got away quickly and passed the first 500m marker just ahead of current European Champion Austria’s Magdanena Lobnig and Olympic Champion Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic. The rain was still falling and the small head wind had dropped away to nothing. Through the middle of the race Brennan managed to inch away rating a very tough 33-34 stroke rate as Lobnig dropped off the pace. China’s Jingli Duan was now moving up. Duan finished with bronze in the single last year and has become China’s regular in this boat class.

In the final sprint Brennan had managed to gain a healthy margin and watch the line forming between Knapkova, Genevra Stone of the United States and Duan. Stone’s 37 stroke rate got her into second with Knapkova, at 33 holding on to third. The consistent rating of Brennan paid off and she crossed in first in a very healthy time of 7:28.

Results: AUS, USA, CZE, CHN, CAN, AUT

B-final

Jeannine Gmelin of Switzerland One had a great start to the 2016 season when she finished fourth at World Rowing Cup I. Today, though she raced to be seventh overall in the B-final. Gmelin has qualified for the Rio Olympic Games and this regatta is another step towards Rio. Rating 38 Gmelin finished in front after leading for the entire race. Also qualified for Rio, Micheen Thornycroft of Zimbabwe came through in second.

Results: SUI1, ZIM, SWE1, LTU, RUS, GER

Kimberley Brennan, Australia, gold
“It’s nice to do what I wanted to do. After a while not racing internationally you forget a bit how to do it. I am going back to Varese and racing in Poznan.”

Genevra Stone, United States of America, silver
“I wanted to go out strong. I used Carling Zeeman’s strength to go our really hard. I wanted to do my best last 500m ever so I just focused on myself and my boat and I had no clue where I was at the end.

Miroslava Topinkova Knapkova, Czech Republic, bronze
“It was a very tough race especially in the end. But I am happy to do well here at the popular Lucerne Regatta. The start of the season was not so good, but I hope to keep building from here. This was my last preparation race of the season.”