Twin Silver Medals for McIntyre at Rowing World Champs
Annabelle McIntyre has collected two silver medals at
the 2019 Rowing World Championships in Austria as the Australians enjoyed a
strong campaign.
McIntyre was a member of the Australian women’s pair and
women’s eight crews and she earned second placed finishes in both A-Finals.
She raced with teammate Jessica Morrison in the pair,
with the duo finishing behind New Zealand in Saturday’s final, before combining
with their crewmates – including WA’s Bronwyn Cox – for the eight final
on Sunday, with New Zealand again earning line honours.
The Pair final was an absolute belter, with New Zealand’s
Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler upping their stroke rate in the closing 200m
to surge home for victory, after Australia had led across the opening 1800m.
At the end, less than two and a half seconds separated the
crews, with the Kiwis winning a superb race that had the crowd in the grandstand
roaring on.
McIntyre said the result would spur the pair on towards
their Tokyo goals with the nation’s spot for the Olympic Games now secured.
“We gave it everything we could, and it puts us in a
really good position for next year, and we’re really excited about what we can
do ourselves and what our team can do as a whole.”
The women’s eight final followed a similar path with the
Australians the pacesetters over the first three splits before being overrun by
the Kiwis in the closing stages.
On this occasion though, the New Zealanders were measured
off the line and were ranked fourth at the first 500m marker, before steadily
building a head of steam there on.
Josh Hicks saved his best race of the 2019 international
season for the World Championships final, where he and Sam Hardy claimed a
sensational bronze medal in the men’s pair.
Just weeks ago, the Aussie men finished outside of the
A-Final at World Cup III, but not only did they book Australia’s boat for Tokyo
in making the final in Austria, but they also gate-crashed the podium for third
place behind champions Croatia and silver medallists New Zealand.
Hardy, winning his first Senior World Championships medal
in the Men’s Pair said, “It feels amazing, I can’t believe we won a medal here
and qualified the boat for Tokyo. It was a really stiff head breeze, so we kept
it really internal and then opened it up in the middle of the race. I can’t
believe it.
“It’s been great to row with Hicksy (Josh Hicks), he’s a
two-time World Champion, and so it’s amazing to have learned from him. He
really turns up on race days, there’s no one else I’d rather row a boat with.”
David Watts and the Australian men’s quad scull
crew finished just short of a podium place, taking fourth in their A-Final.
Poland dominated the international season, yet it was the
Netherlands who sensationally blitzed the field to win the world title in Linz.
They finished ahead of the Poles, with Italy rounding out the podium in third.
Watts rowed with Hamish Playfair, Campbell Watts and Cameron
Girdlestone, with the crew knowing that they’re not too far short of the
required standard to threaten for medals in Tokyo next year.
Photos: © Rowing Australia