World Championship Silver for WA Rower Patten

A silver medal to Giorgia Patten has highlighted a strong campaign for WA’s representative rowers competing on the Australian team at the U23 World Championships in the USA.

 

Patten – competing at a second career U23 world titles – was one of four rowers from the state to wear the green and gold in Florida where she teamed with Harriet Hudson for a silver medal in the women’s double scull.

 

Patten and Hudson had prepared for the world championship in Perth under the guidance of WAIS coach Rhett Ayliffe.

 

They made their way to the A-Final via the repechage round and produced a great row in the medal race to finish second behind the new world champion pairing Anneta Kyridou and Dimitra-Sofia Tsamopoulou from Greece.

 

The Aussie girls were third at the first 500m split but stepped up the intensity thereafter as it quickly became a race in two at the front. Australia was within striking distance at the final split and the girls even managed to nose ahead before the Greek combination powered home to win in 7:04.200 – clear of Australia in 7:07.770.

 

Hudson said she and Patten were thrilled to come away with a medal after a sustained preparation since nationals.

 

“It’s been a long campaign and we’re delighted to come away with a silver medal. Giorgia and I were selected after the Australian Nationals in March this year and it’s great to win here in Florida. It’s been awesome to race here, the conditions have been great and it’s been a fantastic experience.”

 

 

The WA combination of Patrick Boere and Rohan James similarly put in a huge effort in their A-Final of the U23 lightweight men’s pair.

 

The Swan River Rowing Club pair – coached by SWRC lead Mark Beer – put in a big shift to nudge themselves into medal calculations in the final 500m, but they were narrowly edged out (by less than a second) at the line, by Germany and Hungary – to eventually take a highly impressive fourth place finish behind world champion Italy.

 

West Australian Rowing Club member Olivia Jones and the Australian women’s coxless four crew took third place in the B-Final to claim a ninth place ranking overall.

 

Jones teamed with Nicela Martincic, Grace Reid and Lily Alton-Triggs. Having missed the A-Final with a fourth place finish in the repechage, the girls responded well in the B-Final to finish mid-pack in a time of 6:59.590. Great Britain won the world title.

 

The crew were ably led by WARC coach Joseph Tamigi. Congratulations to all WA athletes and coaches on an outstanding campaign  for the state. 

 

• Giorgia Patten (West Australian Rowing Club) – Women’s Double Scull

• Olivia Jones (West Australian Rowing Club) – Women’s Coxless Four

• Patrick Boere (Swan River Rowing Club) – Lightweight Men’s Pair

• Rohan James (Swan River Rowing Club) – Lightweight Men’s Pair

 

Photo: Copyright of Rowing Australia