Melbourne University Sport

Spoils to University rowers at World Cup
25/06/07
By Thomas Nickson

If ever Melbourne University required affirmation of their status as a powerhouse of Australian rowing, then the weekend’s Rowing World Cup II, on the Bosbaan outside of Amsterdam, provided the perfect showcase. Melbourne’s athletes comprised parts of all Australia’s medal winning crews, which won a gold, silver, and two bronze medals.

The first final of yesterday’s racing saw an Australian quinella in the non-Olympic women’s coxless four event. Leading from the outset, Australia’s number one combination, which included MUBC’s Sarah Heard, Resource Management undergraduate Sarah Outhwaite, and alumni Robyn Selby Smith, established a length advantage by the halfway mark, which they maintained for the remainder of the 2000 metre journey. Australia’s second crew, which included MUBC’s Phoebe Stanley, overcame an early challenge from the Chinese boat, to claim silver with a clear water advantage of the bronze medalists from China.

In the women’s coxless pair, Kim Crow (MUBC) and Sarah Cook, went from the hunters to the hunted, as the international field sought to close the gap on the gold medalists from Austria’s World Cup I earlier this month. With this regatta the duo’s first time back in the pair since their win in Linz, and the return of 2005 World Champions New Zealand, this was to be no easy task. Settling second to China through 500 metres gone, the Australians surged to take a slender half-second advantage at halfway. However, a spirited final sprint by both the Chinese and New Zealander, proved too much for Cook and Crow, as they were relegated into the bronze medal position.

On the men’s side, the double scull of University alumni David Crawshay, and Tasmania’s Scott Brennan were again part of another hotly contested final. In what has proven to be the most tightly contested international boat class this year, the Australians were again involved in another photo finish. With less than a second separating the top four crews with 500 metres to go, Crawshay and Brennan, sat third behind crews from Slovenia and Great Britain. In a whirlwind sprint to the line, the Australians were able to hold the bronze medal spot, edging out former World and Olympic Champions Iztok Cop and Luka Spik of Slovenia by one-hundredth of a second. Estonia, with the fastest 500m split of the race, jumped from fourth place to claim gold, while Great Britain held on for silver.

In other racing results, the Australiam women’s eight, that included Crow, Heard, Outhwaite, Selby-Smith, and was coxed by MUBC’s Lizzie Patrick, finished outside the medals in fourth place. Meanwhile the Australian men’s eight, which includes MUBC’s Karsten Forsterling, Cam McKenzie-McHarg, and James Marburg, finished a lacklustre tenth, and the men’s pair of MUBC’s Jason Heard and New South Wales’ Fergus Pragnell, finishing 15th overall.


Home Membership Facilities Group Fitness Health Services Clubs Sport and Recreation Ski Lodge About Us Contact Us News Archive Merchandise	Spoils to University rowers at World Cup 25/06/07 By Thomas Nickson If ever Melbourne University required affirmation of their status as a powerhouse of Australian rowing, then the weekend’s Rowing World Cup II, on the Bosbaan outside of Amsterdam, provided the perfect showcase. Melbourne’s athletes comprised parts of all Australia’s medal winning crews, which won a gold, silver, and two bronze medals. The first final of yesterday’s racing saw an Australian quinella in the non-Olympic women’s coxless four event. Leading from the outset, Australia’s number one combination, which included MUBC’s Sarah Heard, Resource Management undergraduate Sarah Outhwaite, and alumni Robyn Selby Smith, established a length advantage by the halfway mark, which they maintained for the remainder of the 2000 metre journey. Australia’s second crew, which included MUBC’s Phoebe Stanley, overcame an early challenge from the Chinese boat, to claim silver with a clear water advantage of the bronze medalists from China. In the women’s coxless pair, Kim Crow (MUBC) and Sarah Cook, went from the hunters to the hunted, as the international field sought to close the gap on the gold medalists from Austria’s World Cup I earlier this month. With this regatta the duo’s first time back in the pair since their win in Linz, and the return of 2005 World Champions New Zealand, this was to be no easy task. Settling second to China through 500 metres gone, the Australians surged to take a slender half-second advantage at halfway. However, a spirited final sprint by both the Chinese and New Zealander, proved too much for Cook and Crow, as they were relegated into the bronze medal position. On the men’s side, the double scull of University alumni David Crawshay, and Tasmania’s Scott Brennan were again part of another hotly contested final. In what has proven to be the most tightly contested international boat class this year, the Australians were again involved in another photo finish. With less than a second separating the top four crews with 500 metres to go, Crawshay and Brennan, sat third behind crews from Slovenia and Great Britain. In a whirlwind sprint to the line, the Australians were able to hold the bronze medal spot, edging out former World and Olympic Champions Iztok Cop and Luka Spik of Slovenia by one-hundredth of a second. Estonia, with the fastest 500m split of the race, jumped from fourth place to claim gold, while Great Britain held on for silver. In other racing results, the Australiam women’s eight, that included Crow, Heard, Outhwaite, Selby-Smith, and was coxed by MUBC’s Lizzie Patrick, finished outside the medals in fourth place. Meanwhile the Australian men’s eight, which includes MUBC’s Karsten Forsterling, Cam McKenzie-McHarg, and James Marburg, finished a lacklustre tenth, and the men’s pair of MUBC’s Jason Heard and New South Wales’ Fergus Pragnell, finishing 15th overall.