U23 World Champs Completed

WA rowers have competed in two A Finals and one B Final from their campaigns at the U23 World Rowing Championships in Poland.

A second place effort from Sam Marsh in men’s single scull B Final was a fine effort, whilst Bronwyn Cox and Giorgia Patten took fifth place in the women’s pair and Fraser Pensini was a member of the Australian men’s coxed four that finished sixth.

Cox and Patten had been in medal contention in the women’s pair after qualifying fastest and winning their semi-final en route to the A Final.

The WA combination opened with good pace and sat in second place at the first 500m marker in the final, but slipped from podium calculations in the mid-section before eventually taking fifth place in 7:38.220mins.

USA won the title, roughly seven seconds ahead of the Aussies, with Great Britain and Chile earning the minor medals.

Pensini and the men’s coxed four crew fought their way into the A Final after taking second place in the repechage.

The Australians were never realistically in the hunt for medals however, sitting fifth at the first 500m marker before crossing the line over nine seconds down on the world championship crew of the USA.

Having missed initial selection for the Australian U23 World Championship team, Sam Marsh showed excellent improvement to earn a berth in Poland with strong form at subsequent trialling in Penrith.

Competing in one of the toughest events on the competition schedule, Marsh finished with an overall ranking of eighth place, by virtue of a second place finish in the B Final of the men’s single scull.

Having made a steady start, Marsh turned up the pace in the second kilometre of the race to move through the field and secure second spot.

In the A Final, Canada’s Trevor Jones was crowned U23 world champion.

Overall, the USA enjoyed a spectacular U23 Championships, winning five gold medals. Italy and Great Britain both won three gold each, whilst Australia finished competition with one bronze medal, claimed by Sean Murphy in the men’s lightweight single scull.

Photo: Rowing Australia ©