Women's Double Sculls (W2x) - Final

Lithuania, Germany and France recorded nearly identical times in the heats two days ago and they made up the centre lanes today. The rain was still falling with nice flat water as Germany’s Julia Lier and Mareike Adams got a bit of a lead at the start. Moving with Germany were the holders of the World Best Time, Australia. Sally Kehoe and Genevieve Horton of Australia then pushed into the lead going through the second 500 and keeping up a 34 stroke rate they worked their way to a boat length lead.

Germany fought back as France, Greece and Lithuania all started to push. This is when the 2013 World Champions, Lithuania’s Donata Vistartaite and Milda Valciukaite did a big piece. They got the overlap on the Germans and kept on pushing. Vistartaite and Valciukaite were giving it their all and their boat speed was much better than Lier and Adams. Australia now had to keep an eye out for Lithuania. What a sprint! Lithuania went to a 38 stroke rate and then 40. They caught Australia and kept on going. Lithuania was first. Australia got second and Aikaterini Nikolaidou and Sofia Asoumanaki of Greece came down the outside to take a well deserved bronze.

Results: LTU, AUS, GRE, GER, FRA, NZL

B-final

This was a turnaround for Yuliya Bichyk and Tatsiana Kukhta of Belarus. They became the European Champions earlier this month. But they could not make it through the repechage at this regatta. Instead Belarus made the best of this race and led over China One from start to finish.

Results: BLR, CHN1, CHN2, POL

Donata Vistartaite (b), Lithuania, gold
“It has been almost a year since we’ve won a medal. It is a great time to be back on the podium again. We really won the race in the last strokes.”

Sally Kehoe (b), Australia, silver
“It went so quickly, rowing a new combination so we learn every time. We may have over-paced a little bit, we’ll work this out.”

Sofia Asoumanaki (s), Greece, bronze
“It was a very tough race because the competition is very high. Only the one crew who wants it most will win a medal.”